Infinity War One-Shots
by MissxFaith
Summary: (Discontinued) This movie was sad, here are some one-shots to cheer you up... or not. Some will be sad, some will be happy. I hope you find them all entertaining! (Spoilers for Infinity War, obviously) (I am currently working on Tony/Peter based one-shots.)
1. Loki's Death: Part One

ONE SHOT: Loki's Death

It's a common thing to say that the righteous suffer while the sinners thrive. That the good die young while the bad live long fulfilling lives.

Well, I'm afraid life just isn't that black and white.

Maybe the righteous do suffer, and perhaps the good do die young, but us sinners have to face the consequences of our actions eventually.

So I guess this is just me facing mine.

Death has never really scared me, exactly. It's more of an unpleasant thought that I tend to push to the back of my thoughts. I've had some close calls, I've evaded death a good few times... and yet...

Somehow this time is different. Somehow this feels like it will be for real this time. For the first time ever I'm not confident about weaseling out of the situation.

Thanos wouldn't have believed me anyways, he's smarter than that. But my brother, I think he's what really did it for me. Maybe if Thor wasn't here I could actually try something. I can't chance it, though. Not this time.

I avoid making eye-contact with him, lest my last moments in this universe be spent watching the disappointed gaze of my sibling. Because of course I've been a disappointment to him, as I always have been.

If I could just do something... if I could just save us this one time. God, I'm pathetic.

I give Thanos this whole grandiose speech that I can barely hear over the ringing in my ears. I've never felt this way before, I've never been this scared.

It's not death. I'm not scared of death. It's leaving Thor that terrifies me. All the things I've never said to him... all the times I've been too much of a coward to admit that I actually care about him.

Yes, he and I have had our fair share of disagreements, but he's my brother. Maybe not by blood, but by choice. As much as I hate to think about it, even now, at the end, I care about him.

Truly.

Thanos at least has the courtesy of listening to my little monologue before suffocating me. I'm almost accepting my fate, I'm almost okay with it, until I hear Thor's muffled screams.

I make the mistake of looking over at him in these final moments. Of seeing his face tear-stained and shaking with anger. It's enough to break through the nonchalant facade I've been putting on up until this point.

It's in these final moments, looking at my brother's horrified expression, that I realize I don't want to die. I can't die. I've come too far for this.

Even if I've been a disappointment to him up until this point, I cannot possibly bare to fail my brother now. I will not let my final moments be spent thinking about all the things I should've said and done.

I have to survive this, if only for Thor.

Thanos thinks I'm dead, I mean, I feel pretty dead. He tosses me half-hazardly on the floor of the already body-littered spaceship. There's some noise, and then Thor's crying over my body.

I'm much too injured to move, let alone speak to him. There's so much I wish I could say, but I'm already too far gone to voice any of it. This isn't the end, I know it's not.

 _We'll meet again, Brother. I promise._

 _The sun will shine down on us again._

These are my final thoughts before everything goes black. Before the ship explodes and I'm thrown into a vast expanse of nothingness.


	2. Loki's Death: Part Two

Part two of: Loki's Death

I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from him, if anything. A small part of me actually hoped he wouldn't give Thanos the Infinity Stone, that he'd find a way out of this like he has for everything else.

For a few seconds, I thought he might actually have a plan... but then he gave Thanos the Stone. Still, I was hoping he had some kind of trick up his sleeve. I was hoping he'd find a way to escape.

I caught my brother glancing at me, while giving his little speech to Thanos. He looked resigned, a calm mask preventing me from seeing the fear in his eyes. I wondered, in those moments, what thoughts were going through his head.

Did he even care? Was he _hoping_ this outcome would happen?

I was still a bit confused as to what his motivations were, but then I saw him reveal the knife, and I understood completely. He didn't have any intention of getting out of the situation. He didn't _want_ to.

It was then, I think, that I started to scream. My cries were muffled by the metal imprisoning me, of course, but I could never forget the pained look Loki gave me as Thanos began to crush his throat. He looked so terrified. And I didn't understand why.

Wasn't this what he wanted? A heroic death? He was getting the easy way out, I realized. He got to slip away into death, not having to suffer the loss of a sibling.

I couldn't stop the tears the fell from my uncovered eye, or the pointless attempts at screaming. It didn't matter, though, of course. My brother was already gone by that point.

Thanos dropped his limp body at my feet before retreating with his cronies to destroy some other place. My metal shackles came until and I couldn't help but sob over my brother's body.

He deserved more than this. It wasn't _fair_.

I heard an explosion and was forced to get back up. I didn't have time to mourn. Like always, I was forced to push my own emotions aside to fight some bigger battle. For once, I wished I could've just died with him.

Death is, after all, the easier option.

But alas, as the spaceship exploded and I was promptly knocked unconscious by the blast, I realized I'd have to keep going nonetheless. I couldn't give up, I realized. If there was any chance, however small, that I could get Loki back, I would take it.

This wasn't the end. I wouldn't lose this; I couldn't lose this. Perhaps for everyone else this was a matter of the fate of the universe, but for me this was much more personal.

Even if I couldn't kill Thanos myself, I'd make sure he'd pay for what he did. I've lost too many people in my past to lose another. I refuse to be the last one alive in my family.

I thought, at first, that I had nothing to lose—but then I realized that I had everything to lose. If I gave up now, I'd never know if I could've done something more. I'd never know if I could get my brother back.

So, no. I can't give up. Because even though dying might be the easier option, it's not one I afford to take.

This isn't the end. No, this is just the beginning.

 **Author's** **Note** : _I got a couple requests to continue the first one-shot, so here's the scene from Thor's POV. I might *actually* continue it in my next update, if you guys would like, so please be sure to leave me comments! I appreciate feedback, and it helps me write more interesting stuff when I know what people would like to read about. :)_


	3. Loki's Death: Part Three

Part three of: Loki's Death

"I'm pretty sure he's dead..."

"But he's royalty!"

"C'mon, man. We're just wasting our time."

"We can't just leave him here, dude. I bet he's worth a lot of money."

"Maybe... if he wasn't dead."

"He's not!"

"Well, he looks pretty dead to me."

I hear these voices as I regain consciousness. For some reason, everything hurts, even breathing. It's too much of an effort to open my eyes, so I continue to listen as the two stranger bicker amongst themselves.

"Let's take him back with us; he'll make us a huge profit."

"Yeah, maybe... if he was alive."

"He is! Here, check his pulse."

I feel something left up my arm and check my wrist for a pulse, presumably. It feels like a human hand... so am I on Earth?

"See! I told you he was still alive."

"Okay... but he looks pretty beat up."

"Which is perfect, because he won't put up a fight!"

"Do you even know who he is?"

"Of course I do! He's Thor's annoying adopted brother!"

"Won't he be upset if we kidnap his brother?"

"They're relationship isn't the greatest—and besides, no one's seen Thor or the rest of the Avengers for months. Ever since the Snap, they've disappeared like the cowards I've always known they were."

Ugh. All this talking is giving me a headache. It's too much information for me to process at once. Between my aching bones and the unmistakable feeling of a migraine coming on, I decide that it's time I do something.

I dare to open my eyes, and am met with two teenage guys staring down at my prone body. They look ragged, with torn-up clothes and tattoos snaking up their arms. They look... less than welcoming.

"Hey, man, I think he's waking up!" The one with a scraggly beard says.

"Let's restrain him before he tries anything—you never know what these alien folk might do," the other guy replies.

The first guy rolls his eyes and mumbles something about being overdramatic. He grabs something from behind him, a heavy-looking rope, and walks closer towards me.

I sit up, aware that something bad is probably going to happen if I continue to lie here. "Whoa, hold on," I say, getting to my feet unsteadily. "What's going on here?" I take a few steps backward, almost stumbling over some random scraps of trash as I do so.

"Get him before he gets away," the guy with the beard says to his friend. "He'll Be worth a hefty sum, I'm sure."

I have no clue what he's talking about, but it doesn't sound good, so I decide to take my chances and run. I quickly realize that my chances are not good, and I just about collapse with a sudden pain that fills my chest and lungs. Why does it feel like I'm drowning?

I wheeze, unable to run any farther. The two thugs are chasing after me, but I don't think I can evade their pursuit for much longer.

"Get back here you alien scum!" One of the guys yells from some distance behind me.

"Hey, the Auctioneers never said what shape he had to be in, did they? Why don't we just take a shot at him and drag him back with us?" The other guy shouts, loud enough for me to hear.

Running doesn't seem like the best option, giving my current state, but it seems to be the only option I have at the moment. I sprint through a thickly wooded forest, hoping to get the thugs distracted and disoriented long enough for me to escape. Despite my unseen injuries, I don't find all that much exhaustion from running. The real problem seems to be my ribs and lungs. It feels like they've been crushed, like one wrong move could result in them being punctured.

What the hell happened to me?

I continue to sprint through the forest, eventually outrunning the thugs. Once I figure I'm a safe distance away from them, I collapse against a tree. God, how did I end up here?

For some reason, I can't seem to remember all that much. It's like my memory is fuzzy in certain spots. I know I'm not from Earth, and I'm not all that fond of humans, but I can't remember how I got here.

Those guys were saying something about me being royalty? I wonder what they meant by that...

And they said I had a brother? I think they called him Thor?

Why can't I remember anything?

 **Author's Note** : _Well... you guys wanted me to continue this story, so here you are! ;) Hope you don't mind the little cliffhanger, lol. Thanks to everyone who's been leaving me reviews, I really appreciate them! I'm glad you're enjoying this!_


	4. Loki's Death: Part Four

Part four of: Loki's Death

Thor's POV

It's been six months since we lost to Thanos. Six months since he got all six Infinity Stones... six months since he snapped his fingers and knocked half of the universe's population out of existence.

It's been six months since the Avengers disappeared.

Not just disbanded, but straight up disappeared into the far corners of the Earth, and beyond.

I personally decided to try and find remaining Asgardian survivors that may have sought refuge in the surrounding galaxies. Unfortunately, however, I haven't been able to find a single person.

To think that all of my people are dead... it's too horrible of a thought to bare. Of course there's always the possibly of getting the Stones back and rewriting time... but since we got so much backlash from everything that happened, that probably won't be happening for a while.

I haven't contacted any of the other Avengers since I left Earth two months ago. The last person I spoke with was Tony Stark, and that conversation didn't end well.

Every now and again I find myself thinking back to the moment when Thanos destroyed our ship and killed everyone on it. I can't help but wonder if I could've done something more to stop him.

I also think about Loki sometimes... but I try to push those thoughts to the back of my mind as much as possible. They're still too painful to deal with, even though it's been six months since everything happened.

Currently, I am journeying back to Earth in hopes of collecting more information on the Stones and Thanos. It might seem like a weird place to look for info, but I've been hearing rumors that civilians there are encountering a new superhero. Since this person is clearly not an Avenger, I'm curious to see what their motive of going to Earth is.

I didn't get a whole lot of information on them, but I heard they were being referred to as Captain Marvel. I can only imagine what this person might know, and how helpful it could be to defeating Thanos once and for all.

If no one else is going to step up and finish this, then I guess it's up to me to get the job done.

Loki's POV

After resting against the tree for some time, I decide I better get going. Who knows what other crazy people might lurk in these woods.

The only problem, I realize as I'm walking down a worn dirt path, is that I have no idea where to go. Since my memory's all... fuzzy, I can't even remember how I got to Earth in the first place!

It begins to rain as I walk the dirt path, and I catch my reflection in a forming puddle of water. I'm a bit shocked as I take in my ghostly pale face and stringy black hair. I look half-dead.

I also realize how weird my clothing is. Am I wearing a cape? Those two guys said I was royalty, but I didn't think Kings and Queens wore capes.

That seems more like something a superhero would wear.

Odd.

The dirt path takes me to what looks like a farm. I don't see any people around, and the structure looks abandoned. Maybe I could stay here for a while until I figure out what the hell is going on.

I enter the dilapidated building, raindrops falling through a rotting rooftop, and formulate a plan of action for what I should do next.

I'm not exactly hungry or tired, which is kind of weird. But I take advantage of this and use my time to find a weapon instead of bothering with food sources or a place to sleep.

I find an old hunting knife in the barn behind the abandoned house, and decide it'll do for the time being. And besides, it just... feels right.

On my way back into the old house, I hear the sound of car engine shutting off. Okay, maybe someone does live here. I'm sure whoever the owner of this place is wouldn't be happy if they found out I was here, so I decide to hide in the barn until I know for who they are.

Footsteps sound on the gravelly sidewalk that goes around the barn and farther down to the house. The person seems to be talking to someone, but I can only hear their part of the conversation.

"...yes... uh-huh... Okay. What time? Okay. Yeah... I'll meet you out back."

The voice sounds masculine, and the footsteps stop just in front of the closed barn doors. Since I'm just standing to the side, against an old crate, I don't really have anywhere to hide.

"God... didn't the old man ever consider putting a lock on this thing... Who knows how many squatters have taken refuge in here," the man seems to say to himself.

I hold my breath, and stand statue-still as he pushes the barn door open. At first he doesn't see me since there aren't any lights on, but then the daylight from outside splashes in, ruining any chance for cover.

"Who the hell are y—" the man starts saying, looking at me strangely.

I panic, not knowing what to do. Before he finishes his sentence, I use the hunting knife I just stole and fling it at him. Somehow, without even quite meaning to, I hit him directly in the chest. He falls down almost immediately, words dying in his throat as he does so.

I stare at him, horrified. What did I just do? How did I do that so... effortlessly?

I run out of the barn, almost tripping over the now-dead man's body. I don't bother grabbing the knife on my way out, because I don't need that man's blood on my hands.

As I shakily make my way back around to the front of the house, I see the man's car parked in the gravel driveway. I'm not quite sure how to drive car—whether that's because of my memory loss, or because I never learned how to begin with, I'm not sure—but how hard could it be?

I get in the vehicle and am thankful to find the keys already waiting in the ignition. It takes me a couple tries, but I get the car started. Maybe I do know how to drive, because my hands seem to know what to do—like muscle memory.

I pull out of the driveway and back down the road I came from. After driving for some time, I come upon a sign giving multiple destinations, depending on what way one decided to travel.

I turn down a road that says, "New York City - 123 miles". I'm not quite sure how far away that is, but I guess it's a place to start.

Author's Note: sorry if this was a little boring, I'm just trying to set some stuff up for upcoming parts. Hope you still enjoyed it! :)


	5. Only Way

ONE SHOT:

(Context: Loki's death happens a bit differently...)

"No!" Thor exclaimed. "Y-you can't do this!"

His brother gave him a pained expression, "I'm sorry, Brother, but this is the only way."

"But you'll—you won't be able to escape this time." Thor's usually strong tone wavered, his fear showing in his voice. "Y-you can't just walk away from this, Loki. Don't you understand?!"

Loki gave his brother a wane smile, barely even there. "I understand." His tone was soft, barely audible over the fighting going on between Thanos and the Hulk.

Thor frowned, "But you—"

"Don't worry about me, Thor. I'll... everything will be fine. I promise."

"C'mon, Loki... you can't be serious." Thor felt sick, suddenly. He felt like he knew what was going to happen next. He knew what his brother was going to do. "Please," he begged. "There has to be another way."

Loki shrugged, hoping to look indifferent. "Maybe there is... but I don't think we have enough time to find it. Who knows if we can stop Thanos... but maybe I can... distract him."

"Absolutely not," Thor said resolutely. "You are not going to do this, Loki. Now is not the time to be a hero."

The sounds of the fight were dwindling, and the two brothers knew time was running out. "Who says I ever was one?" Loki replied with a smirk.

"Brother," Thor began.

"No, Thor. I have to do this." Loki started to turn away, ready to finish things.

"Please," Thor whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "You've come too far for this." He grabbed his brother's arm, as if that alone would make him stay.

"I'm doing this for us," Loki said, not able to meet Thor's gaze. "I'm doing this for you."

Thor saw tears in his brother's eyes then, genuine tears. At that moment, he knew he couldn't stop it. He was only delaying the inevitable.

"I-I really do care about you, Brother. I know things have always been a little rocky between us—"

"I know, Thor. Even with everything we've through together... I've always known, deep down..." Loki trailed off, afraid that if he said anything more, he might actually start crying.

Thor nodded understandingly. "This isn't the end," he said firmly, his grip tightening on Loki's arm. "I know it's not."

Loki nodded in agreement, unable to say anything for the lump in his throat.

"You've always been my brother, truly. So what if you're adopted? You're the only family I have left. And you've always been my favorite, anyways." Thor smiled a tear falling from his good eye.

His grip on Loki's arm loosened then, and he pulled his brother into a bone-crushing hug. "This isn't the end," he said softly. "We'll be okay; I promise."

And then the fight between Thanos and the Hulk was over, and Thanos had won. And everything after happened oh so quickly, but Thor could've sworn he saw his brother's cheeks tear-stained as he pulled away from him.


	6. Loki's Death: Part Five

Part five of: Loki's Death

Thor's POV

My arrival to Earth comes relatively unnoticed, surprisingly. No adoring fans or mobs with pitch forks at the ready. At this point, I don't think anyone's surprised by superheroes or aliens anymore.

New York City looks about the same as when I left it two months ago, and I'm not sad to see the 'Stark Industries' logo gone from one of the tallest buildings in the city. I have no idea where Stark ran off to, but as far as I'm concerned, he might as well be dead.

Our last conversation ended with him basically blaming me for not being able to stop Thanos, despite not being able to do anything himself. The guy's always gotten on my nerves, but that was the last straw.

I almost find myself on Doctor Strange's doorstep, but then I remember what the other's told me happened to him, and I almost wish I hadn't come back to Earth at all.

After wandering down the streets of Manhattan for some time, I come to the conclusion that I have no clue what or who to look for. This mysterious Captain Marvel could be anyone, and I haven't the slightest idea of where to look for them.

This is pointless.

"Excuse me, Sir?" someone behind me says.

"Uh, yeah?" I reply, turning around to face them.

"Are you, by chance, the Avenger known as Thor?" A man in a police uniform says.

I raise an eyebrow, suspicious. "Well, I was an Avenger... before everyone... left. Why?"

The policeman looks down at a notepad he's holding, and then back up at me. "I think you need to come with me, Sir."

I frown, "Why? Is something wrong?"

The man gives me a perplexed look. "Um... that depends."

"On what?"

"You uh... you have a brother, right? The one who tried to destroy the city a while back?"

At the mention of Loki, I'm instantly suspicious. "I had a brother," I correct coldly. "He's... gone now." I scowl, trying to push back resurfacing memories. "Now, if you'll excuse me," I push past him. "I have better things to do than listen to... whatever nonsense you have to tell me."

The police officer stops me. He looks a bit worried now, and seems to be debating on whether to tell me something or not. "I'm sorry if this is bringing up some... unpleasant memories for you, but I think you're going to want to come with me to the station. This might sound crazy, but I think your brother's been put in police custody for the murder of a real estate agent."

I stare at the man, incredulous. "My brother is dead," I say flatly. "If he was alive, he wouldn't have gotten caught for murdering someone—he wasn't that stupid."

The man gives me an accusing look, but I ignore it. "It's true," I say with a shrug. "He is—he was—always too clever for his own good."

"Then maybe this isn't him," the policeman says with a furrowed brow. He looks back down at the notepad, "The man in custody proved to be very... well, not like your brother. He was also very confused when we brought him in. He hasn't received any medical attention yet, but we think he may have suffered some kind of... brain injury."

I sigh, "If this isn't Loki, why are you bothering to tell me all of this?"

The man frowns, pulling something out of his back pocket. "Here's a mugshot of the man in question, if you don't believe me."

I take the photo from him, eager to put an end to this conversation as soon as possible. What I see in the picture causes me to almost drop the glossy image.

"No..." I whisper. "This isn't possible. I watched... I watched him die." I throw the photograph away, anger coursing through my veins. "What kind of sick joke is this? What are you trying pull?"

The police officer takes a step back, looking a bit scared. "Whoa, calm down. I was just trying to prove that—"

"I don't need you to prove anything! Loki is dead, and he isn't coming back." I turn away, the fight going out of me and giving way to exhaustion. "He's gone..." I say again, mostly to myself. "Forever."

"Just humor me, okay?" The man says after a minute of silence. "So you can decide for yourself whether I'm lying or not."

I consider his offer, "And if it's not him?"

"Well, then I guess you'll know for sure that your brother is definitely... gone forever."

I sigh, "Fine... Maybe this will give me some closure."

Loki's POV

My drive to the city was cut short when I was pulled aside by a police officer for speeding. How was I supposed to understand what a speed limit was?

They brought me into the station last night, and I've been here ever since. At some point during the early hours of morning, a man in a suit came in to tell me I needed a lawyer.

I asked him why I needed a lawyer for speeding, and he said I had been brought in on a charge for murder—not the speeding ticket.

I immediately panicked, remembering how I killed that man who came into the barn. My lawyer instructed me to not say anything to the police officer, but was then escorted out of the interrogation room shortly after since I'm not an actual American citizen.

Which, by the way, brought on it's own set of problems. These police officers seem to know more than I do, but won't tell me anything. They asked me what my name was, and I said I didn't know—because that's the truth.

They asked me where I was from, and I told them I knew it wasn't Earth, but that was all.

They asked me if I had any family here on Earth, and I said not that I know of.

The last question they asked me was if I had any siblings. I told them about Thor, because I'm apparently his brother... even though I don't remember having a brother.

Or much of anything at all.

After that they left me alone in the interrogation room, and I've been here for a several hours now. I'm actually getting quite tired, and I think I've almost fallen asleep a few times while waiting for... whatever comes next.

For some reason, these police officers must be really paranoid about me escaping, because they've really taken some drastic precautions to keep me here.

I haven't resisted anything they've done yet, because I've already been brought up on a murder charge and I don't want to make things worse.

How bad of a person was I before everything... went all fuzzy?

Everyone seems to be afraid of me for some reason, and it makes me uncomfortable in a way I can't quite describe.

I'm about to fall asleep on the hard metal table I've been made to sit at, when the door to the room unlocks. I jolt upright impossibly fast.

Still not used to my exceptionally fast reflexes yet.

"He's in here," I hear someone say as the door opens slowly. "We've taken all precautions necessary to ensure that he doesn't... cause any problems for us."

The door opens fully, and I see a police officer step inside the room. Behind him is a freakishly buff man with dirty blonde hair and a skeptical expression planted across his chiseled features.

He's wearing some kind of stupid outfit with a cape attached to it. What is he, some kind of superhero?

"Is this your brother?" The policeman asks, pointing at me.

The other man turns his attention to me, and almost immediately rushes over to give me a surprisingly firm hug. It's a bit awkward, since I'm chained to a table, but I don't think the man notices all that much. He seems to be a bit shocked, as does the police officer, and pulls away, smiling.

"Brother!" He exclaims with almost child-like excitement. "It's true! You aren't—you're not—How is this possible?!"

I look to the policeman for help. Who is this crazy man and why's he in here with me?

"Are you... Thor?" I venture.

He looks at me like I've lost my mind. "Of course I'm Thor! Who else would I be?" He tugs on my arm, "Now quit joking around, Loki. We have to get you out of here."

I give him a concerned look, "I'm sorry, but do I know you?" I turn to the police officer, "Are you sure he shouldn't be the one in here? I think he's a little... Uh.. out of it, if you know what I mean."

Thor scowls at me, "Now is not the time to pretend. I was hoping we had moved past this point in our relationship."

I pull my arm away from him, "You said you were Thor, right? So am I... your brother?"

He nods, looking unamused. "C'mon, Loki. Stop playing dumb. Is this because of the murder charge? Because if it is, I'm not bailing you out of jail, this time."

I frown at him, "But we look nothing alike."

He glares at me, "Because you're adopted. Why are you acting like you don't remember me?"

Ah, that explains things. Well... one thing.

"Because I don't remember you," I reply honestly. "I don't really remember much of anything, actually."

Thor gives me an unbelieving look. "You can't be serious."

I nod, "I'm afraid I am... Thor."

He turns to look at the policeman, his face turning to an unreadable mask. "So it's true, then? That he's suffered some kind of brain injury?"

"I tried to warn you," the officer mumbles, half under his breath. "He doesn't remember anything."

Thor seems to process this information slowly. First by turning away from the police officer, then by giving me a look I can't quite read, then by turning back toward the door. "Fine, then. If you want so badly to keep up this lie, go ahead. I'm not here to stop you. Don't come running to me when things don't go your way, though."

"I'm not lying to you!" I exclaim as he opens the door. "I'm sorry that I don't remember you, but I really don't!"

He pauses for a moment, turns back to face me. "These games of yours are getting quite old, Brother. Maybe I'll decide to pay you a visit in prison when you get your act together."

"I'm not playing any games with you!" I shout, scared for some reason I can't quite explain. "I promise you that I'm telling the truth!"

Thor gives me a cold look, "I thought you were dead, Loki. I saw Thanos kill you right in front of me."

"Wait, Thanos? Who's that? What are you talking about?"

"I've already mourned for you twice, Brother. This was my last time."

He starts to turn away, and I panic. There's something I can't explain in the moment, but I know—somehow—that Thor leaving me here would be bad for the both of us. I can't explain it, I just know.

"Please," I beg. "I really don't know what happened... but if you are my brother, then I think I'd rather prefer it if you didn't hate me. And I'm afraid that if you walk out that door, you're going to."

Thor halts at my words, his face crumbling. "No... no it can't be true." His eyes shine with tears, "I've just found you again, and now you're trying to tell me that you don't even remember me?!"

I gulp, seeing his hands shake with a rage that probably isn't directed at me. Probably. "If it makes you feel any better, you seem like a good brother to have," I say, trying to lighten the situation.

He ignores my comment, instead turning his attention to the officer. "You can still do your mind-trick thing, right? You haven't forgotten how to use your powers?"

I realize his words are for me, and I notice the officer's darkening expression. "What powers?" I reply weakly.

Thor sighs, "The one time I wish you lived up to your namesake."

I raise an eyebrow, "I'm not sure I understand..."

"The God of Mischief? No...? Okay, fine. I'll just have to do this myself."

God of Mischief? What? I'm a god?

Thor cuts me a look, "Are you really just going to sit there while I bust you out of here?"

"Uh..."

The police officer pulls out a walkie-talkie and says something into it. He then pulls out a gun and points it at Thor. "Should've known that the Avengers would only bring trouble when they finally decided to show up again," He sneers.

There's a flash, and something that sort of resembles a hammer appears in Thor's hand. "Like I said before, I'm not an Avenger anymore."

"Oh yeah? Well, what are you?"

Thor smirks, looking over at me as if trying to convey a silent joke. "I'm not quite sure, yet. But I think it's something much more... exciting."

"There're reinforcements behind that door," the officer says, looking a bit nervous. "They'll shoot you on sight."

Thor shrugs, unfazed. "I'll take my chances. I've gone up against much worse."

The officer grimaces, "Fine. Suit yourself." He's about to pull the trigger on the gun, but all of a sudden there's another shock of bright light, and he's been knocked down, unmoving.

"Well," Thor says, looking pleased with himself. "That was easier than I'd anticipated."

I stare at him, alarmed. "Did you just kill a police officer?"

He looks over at me as if he forgot I was even here. "Oh, he's just unconscious. And since when do you care about killing people?"

"Since now!" I exclaim, eyes flicking to the door. "You'll be ambushed if you go out there alone!"

Thor walks over to me and literally rips the chains away from my arms and legs. "Yeah, that's why you're coming with me."

I stand up, "But I don't remember how to use my powers!"

"I think you'll find they come naturally under stressful situations."

I follow him to the door, trying to look more confident than I really am. "I thought you were upset about me dying! This is a sure way to get me killed!"

Thor turns back and rolls his eyes at me, "You'll be fine. Believe me when I say that you've survived much worse."

"That doesn't make me feel any better!" I exclaim as Thor turns the door handle.

"It wasn't exactly supposed to—and for what it's worth, I really don't plan on letting you die again."

"Again?! How many times have I died before?!"

"Too many," Thor replies darkly. He looks at me then, "But don't worry, little Brother." He puts a hand on my shoulder, "I promise I won't let this ever happen again."

I don't quite know what he's referring to, this situation in particular, or me dying in general—but either way, it doesn't help the fear I feel when he opens the interrogation room door.

"Well, you seem like the type of person to keep promises... I guess."

Thor raises an eyebrow, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you just look like a good-nature person who—" my statement is cut off by the sound of gunfire. As soon as the door opens, it seems like it's raining bullets.

"Quit babbling and start fighting!" Thor shouts, swinging his impossibly strong hammer at people.

"But I don't have a weapon!"

"Here, catch!"

I'm thrown something that looks like a scythe, and I catch it on instinct. "Whoa," I say, staring at it. "What's this?"

"Consider it a gift for not being dead," Thor shouts over the gunfire. "Now quit gawking at it and help me get us out of here!"

I nod absently, testing the new weapon in my grip. "Right. Let's do this."

 **Author's Note** : _So, did you guys like this? I'm not quite sure if this really fits their characters all that well, but I thought it was kind of cute... and I need something cute and cheesy after IW, lol._

 _Be sure to let me know what you think of it! :)_


	7. Reunited

ONE SHOT:

(So I saw a cute fanfic idea on tumblr and I just had to write about it...)

Somehow we managed to defeat Thanos. I wasn't personally there when it happened, but nonetheless it did. The Avengers were able to destroy Thanos as well as get the Infinity Stones back.

Apparently all those who were turned to dust were actually trapped in the Soul Stone. Once it was found out that they could be saved, Stark and Banner began working nonstop to bring them all back.

Even Gamora was able to be brought back to life.

Somehow the Avengers found a way to get Vision back as well, which Wanda was very happy to hear about.

As I was told all of this, I smiled and nodded and celebrated the good news with everyone. Deep down, though, I couldn't help but feel a bit bitter. Of course I was elated that all of my friends were okay, but I still had a bit of resentment about my own situation.

I mean, I know they say that it's dangerous to change the past, but Doctor Strange has done it, and everything's turned out fine. I just wish I wouldn't have to be the only one with losses that remained.

I once said that I had nothing left to lose, but now I'm not so sure. It's true that I've lost my entire family and most of my people, but I've come to realize that I'm beginning to lose myself.

Is it true, what they say, that you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain?

My brother was a hero, in the end. He died making the right decision—he died a hero. But me? I'm not quite sure what I am anymore. Sometimes I wish I could just fade away into oblivion... it might be easier than living with all of this pain.

One day, though, I decide to stop wallowing in self-pity and actually do something productive for a change. As of late, I've often found myself wandering the streets of New York City late at night.

You can be anything, in the darkness. You can fade into a midnight landscape and just... be. You can observe things without the risk of being observed. You can enjoy a sense of peace and quiet that you wouldn't be able to find in the light of day.

For some reason I find myself in Central Park, and I sit down on an empty bench. I hear the sounds of nearby laughter and of far-off taxi cars. I hear the boisterous sounds of drunk college students, and the clicking of high-heels from people coming home from work.

The noise all fades into the background, something distant and pleasant. I begin to daydream, thinking of all the lives of these millions and millions of people. I wonder where they're going, where they're coming from. I wonder who they're giggling with and what they're giggling at. I wonder about all the people that walk through this park; who do they walk with? Who is that they're talking to on the phone in a hushed voice? What inner struggles are they all going through?

I'm jerked out of these thoughts when someone sits down next to me. It's a man wearing a business suit. He's tapping away at his phone, and the streetlights are too far away for me to get a good look at his face. I'm about to get up and move to another bench when he clears his throat.

"It's... been a while," he says in a strained voice. "A bit too long, I do admit."

I frown, his voice sounds familiar, but I don't really know why. "Uh... sorry, but do I know you?"

He puts his phone away and stares down at the ground, his face still cast in shadow. "Yes, you most certainly do... or at least I hope you still remember me."

I raise an eyebrow, "A friend from work?"

"Not quite."

I look at the man, taking in his pristine appearance and black hair. "I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific, because I definitely don't know you."

"Yeah..." the man chuckles weakly. "Yeah, I guess I should've figured as much."

I give the man a skeptical look, "Okay, c'mon. Who are you? Did one of the Avengers put you up to this? Is this their way of trying to prank me?"

The man laughs, "Ah, that would be amusing—but no. I would've come back sooner, but... things got in the way."

"What kind of things?"

"Annoying, superhero things," the man replies a bit coldly. He clears his throat, "Anyways, I'm here now... and I guess I should probably let the cat out of the bag before you find it out from someone else."

I frown, standing up. "Okay. I really have no idea who the hell you are, but I'd suggest you leave before I—"

"It's me, Brother."

I blink, incredulous. "What?" I ask numbly.

The man stands up, I catch sight of his face in the streetlight. "I would've told you sooner, but your annoying friends thought it would just make things harder on you—"

"Loki?!" I exclaim, still not processing the situation. "Y-you're not dead?! How? I saw you—I saw Thanos..." I trail off, at a loss for words.

"Whoa, calm down, there," Loki says, looking around at the emptying park. "Not everyone needs to hear this conversation."

"H-how is this possible?" I question, skepticism laced in my tone. "Did you fake your own death again?"

Loki sighs, looking a bit uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Not exactly. I did die, but one of your friends—reluctantly—brought me back. I think he felt bad about your constant moping."

"I did not mope," I say defensively. "And for the record, I really didn't think I'd see you again," I add.

"So you didn't miss me?"

"Well... I didn't say that." I cross my arms, "but I'd really appreciate if you stopped dying all the time, it's giving me unnecessary stress and emotional trauma."

My brother rolls his eyes at me, "I'll try to keep that in mind," he says sarcastically. Then, "In all seriousness, though, dying did make me realize something."

I quirk an eyebrow, "Unlike all those other times you died?"

"It made me reevaluate some things," Loki continues, ignoring my comment. "And I've come to the conclusion that that I can't keep living my life with one foot in the door and the other out. I'd like to think that I've changed... and in changing, I've learned what being a hero really means."

"Oh?" I prompt, curious as to where this is going.

"Yes. I think the term 'hero' is a bit subjective, since anyone can be the hero of their own story. But if this last death has taught me anything, it's that being a hero means dying for something you care about. Whether that be a cause or a person, you do the things you do because you care about something..." Loki trails off, getting choked up. "I guess what I'm trying to say is..." his voice wavers, like he might be trying to hold back tears.

I don't think I've ever actually seen my brother cry before.

"I've been too much of a coward to ever admit it in the past, perhaps because I thought it a weakness of sorts, but at the end of the road... when it really comes down to it..." he looks away from me and mutters something too quietly for me to hear.

"What was that?" I question, my face impassive.

My brother gives me an annoyed look, but says, "I care about you, okay? Isn't that what you've always wanted to hear, that the Big Bad Loki actually has feelings and emotions like everyone else?" At this point, tears are streaming down his face. "Well, I'm finally admitting it now, okay? I've always cared, you know that? All those times when we've argued or fought, I was just to scared to admit that I actually cared about someone. Because when you care about someone, you have something to lose... and I never wanted that kind of weakness weighing me down."

I stay silent, allowing him a chance to get everything out.

"I thought it was easier to just box my feelings away and pretend nothing mattered to me... but then our sister showed up, and everything else happened. And then, when I thought things were finally starting to get better for us, Thanos showed up." Loki's voice is distant now, as if he's reliving the memories.

"I guess it was at that point that I realized I couldn't keep pretending. As much as it hurt to admit it to myself at the time, I'd much rather have given up my life in a weak attempt at double-crossing, than forfeiting your life." Loki shakes his head, as if dispelling the memories from that day. "You're a lot of things, Thor. An Avenger, a hero, a god. Some of these things I can appreciate more then others, but, most importantly, you're my brother." Loki waits for me to respond, looking somehow younger, more... innocent.

"Are you done?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

My brother nods, giving me a wary look. "What? No eloquent speeches about how it's taken me long enough to figure this out? No chastises for all the torment I've caused you throughout the years?"

"You've grown," I say with a shrug. "You've learned from your mistakes and become a better person because of it." I sigh, "I have to say, though, ever since Ragnarok, I've been meaning to do something."

Loki gives me a look.

"I did promise you a hug," I remind him. "And I think a celebration such as this calls for one, wouldn't you agree?"

"Well, now. I don't know that's quite necessary—"

"Too late," I say, wrapping my arms around him. "I've lost you too many times to take another chance."

"Okay... there's really no need to be that overdramatic about this," Loki replies noncommittally, despite returning the gesture. "If I'd have known you'd react this way, I might've reconsidered."

"Oh really?" I chuckle. "Perhaps you should've."

Loki pulls back, looking hurt.

"Calm down, I'm just joking. Since when you were the serious one?"

He crosses his arms, looking mildly annoyed. "Since I died at the hands of a monster, and was forced to hear the anguished screams of my sibling as I was being asphyxiated," he deadpans.

"Fair enough," I concede.

Loki glances around, looking suspicious. "Now that we've shared this wonderful moment together, do you think we could maybe leave? I have a feeling that some of your friends may be... eavesdropping on our conversation."

I laugh, "Why would they do that?"

"Because they hate me, apparently. Just because I'm not evil anymore doesn't mean that I have to be like... you all the time," he replies with a scowl.

I give him a look, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well..." he looks behind me and snaps his fingers, changing back into his more... conspicuous clothing. "I'm still the God of Mischief, after all." He smirks, "And who says I can't have a little bit of fun before I get stuck working with you and your friends?"

I grin, "Glad to see you haven't completely changed, Brother. I'd hate to think you've become boring because of me."

"Me, boring? No, never. Even death can't take that away from me."


	8. The Ending We Deserve

ONE-SHOT:

(So I've heard the rumors that Loki might really be dead, and how the Russo brothers were saying that Tom was getting too old to continue the role. I'm personally a little upset, obviously, but I do understand that a certain actor can't play a role forever. My problem isn't that his characters got killed off, its *how* they killed his character off. He deserved a better ending, and that's what makes me a little salty. I'd love it if he came back for A4 just so he could get a more proper ending, but I'm honestly not expecting it. It sounds like the Russo brothers have made up their minds, and intend for his death to be permanent... With that said, however, I know how they seem to like to twist their words a little, so I won't *completely* dismiss the theory of Loki not actually being dead. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'd really like it if we get to see Tom again for the role, but I won't be surprised if he doesn't come back. I'll still be sad about it, but not surprised. Anyways... this one-shot is just something short and random, so... enjoy!)

"So, all of you remember my brother, right?"

I'm met with looks of both confusion and anger. Neither of which I was hoping for. Bruce gives me a sheepish smile and avoids eye-contact with Loki, who smirks at his clear discomfort with the situation.

"I thought he was dead," Stark replies flatly, looking a little more than irritated.

Loki bristles, offended. "I'll have you know, _Mr. Stark_ , that I helped save your precious Earth from Thanos—no thanks to you."

I cut my brother a glare. "We spoke about this," I mutter, reminding him of our deal.

In order for me to bring him back to Earth, I made him promise that he wouldn't cause any problems. Clearly, he has not be too keen to keep that promise.

"I don't know who you think you are—" Tony starts.

"Guys," Peter says, trying to diffuse the situation. "Why don't we all calm down and—"

"Stay out of this!" Tony shouts, giving the kid a look. "You should be at school!"

Peter frowns and slinks away dejectedly. I turn my attention to my brother, who looks rather pleased with himself.

"You know," he says. "I think Stark is right. I really shouldn't be here, and I'm not wanted here anyways..." he sighs dramatically. "I guess I'm not fit for this whole superhero thing after all."

I roll my eyes at him, "Yeah, nice try. I thought you were done acting like a whiny teenager."

Loki scowls at me, "I am not a whiny teenager. If anyone is, it's that annoying Spider-Boy—"

"Spider-Man," Peter interjects from somewhere down the hall. "And I'm not a whiny teenager!" He adds in an admittedly whiny voice.

"The people here can't appreciate me for my... skills," Loki continues, not missing a beat.

I raise an eyebrow, "Skills?"

"Yes, my skills." He gives me a pointed look. "I can be very useful when—"

"You're stabbing people?" Doctor Strange finishes.

He's been quiet up until this point, but I know, from our last encounter, that he doesn't really like Loki.

"I can do more than that!" Loki says defensively, crossing his arms indignantly. "I can do more than most of you people in this room."

Doctor Strange narrows his eyes, rising from his seat on the sofa. "Oh really? I think I'd like to see that."

I notice the growing tension between the two, and move in between the two magicians. "Hey, now. There's no need to start a fight."

"Back off, Brother," Loki says, moving around me. "Clearly this imbecile doesn't know what I can do."

"Loki—" I start, but he's already lunging in Strange's direction.

"Nope," Strange says in annoyed tone. "I'm not putting up with this again." He draws up a portal. "Have fun in Antarctica."

"Was that really necessary?" I say, frowning at the place where my brother fell through the portal.

"Yes, he's a pain in the ass."

Okay, well I can't disagree with that. Still, though, he is my brother. "Please don't tell me you actually sent him to Antarctica, though, don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

Doctor Strange shrugs noncommittally. "I'm sure he'll get along just fine there."

"But he'll be super pissed when he gets back," I point out. "He tends to hold grudges a bit longer than most."

Strange smirks a little, "Well, then. I'll have to keep that in mind."

I sigh, defeated. "Fine. I guess it's my job to get him back, then."

"You don't always have to run after him, you know that, right?" Bruce says quietly. "I know things were rough when you thought he was—"

"I can't take any more chances," I reply, interrupting him.

Bruce frowns, "Listen, Thor. You lost the most because of Thanos, but sometimes you have to let things go. Loki is a lot of things... and I understand that you care about him, but I just don't think he belongs in a place like this."

I don't want to admit it aloud, but I know he's right. My brother might not be the villain he once was, but he's a long way from becoming an Avenger. "That's fair," I eventually say. "Perhaps we will go look for the remainder of our people and settle ourselves elsewhere for some time."

At this statement, Stark speaks up. "Thor, you are still considered an Avenger—and we could use your help with rebuilding the city."

I shake my head, "I appreciate the offer, but I've left my brother on his own far too much—and that seems to be what always causes him to... lash out. I think we still have a lot to work out, and I don't think being around you guys is helping him... no offense, of course."

Tony nods, his expression more that of a businessman than a friend. "None taken. Just know that we'll be here when you decide to come back."

If I decide to come back, I don't correct him. "Thank you," I say sincerely. "I've appreciated working with all of you."

He nod in acknowledgment of my words. Bruce stands up and shakes my hand, "Hope to see you soon," he says, sounding a bit sad.

"You too," I reply.

Doctor Strange waves at me as I make my way towards the front door of Stark Industries. "I suppose I won't be seeing you back for a while... so for what it's worth, I don't think you're completely annoying. And I don't totally hate your brother," he adds as an afterthought.

I grin.

"I don't ever want him near me again, though," he says seriously. "Now go find him before he destroys something."

I nod and step through the portal he's created for me. "Will do."

I hear a chorus of goodbyes as I leave, and wonder what things might've been like if we hadn't been able to stop Thanos. I don't think I ever want to know.

 **Author's Note** : _So this is the send-off Thor and Loki should've gotten. If you're going to write characters off, why can't you just let them have a happy ending? Or, in the very least, one where they get to live? That's not too much to ask for, is it?_

 _Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this. I wanted to write j_ ust _a_ _little something for you. ;)_


	9. A Farewell Hug

ONE-SHOT:

(Idk what this is, lol. I'm still really bummed out about the news that Loki is mostly likely going to stay dead. I'm starting to lose inspiration for these one-shots, but I'll try to keep them going since you guys seem to be enjoying them. :)

(Disclaimer: there is some implication of suicide in this one-shot, so just be aware of that as you read. Nothing actually happens, but if that makes you uncomfortable you might want to skip this one.)

The end was not as simple as the god thought, simply because it was not the end at all. He died, of course, but fate would have it that the guardian of the gates of Hell was... well, Hela. His sister.

The exiled goddess took one look at him and promptly kicked him out of the Afterlife. At the time, the God of Mischief thought this was good thing, but he quickly realized how terrible this truly was.

He was no longer alive, but he didn't have the means to live out the rest of his eternal life with his sister still around. The fallen god considered visiting his brother's Afterlife, but doubted it would do all that much good. Their parents would never accept that he had changed, and, if he was being honest with himself, he didn't think he'd want to spend eternity with them anyways.

Well, not while his brother was still alive, at least.

For these reasons, Loki decided the best course of action was to figure out where his brother was, exactly. Since he didn't know how long he had spent in the eternal realm, he didn't quite know what was happening in the living world at the moment.

Loki somehow knew his brother was still alive. Whether that be a sibling intuition of some sorts, or something deeper, the god did not know. He could only be sure that the formidable God of Thunder was still out in the universe somewhere.

The first place he checked was Earth, since that seemed to be Thor's favorite planet for some reason. It was strange, not being alive but still being able to walk on Earth. No one could see him, of course, and he himself couldn't exactly hear anything the living were saying.

Their words were like whispers, low indecipherable things that seemed to whistle like a summer's breeze. He floated amongst them, seen by none.

His invisible footsteps led him to a strange place: Stark Industries. The god still had a sort of resentment for the arrogant billionaire, Tony Stark, but as he stepped through the front doors and into the lobby of the building, he immediately knew something had changed.

Everything looked... wrong. There were no people around, the lights were shut off. The place looked abandoned. As Loki continued to survey the office building, he saw peculiar little mounds of what looked like dust... or ash.

No. It couldn't be, could it? That Thanos had won and succeeded in destroying half of the universe? But the Avengers never lost a battle against a villain—Loki would know, after all.

But if Thanos has indeed been powerful enough to go through with his plan... Loki shuddered involuntarily. As someone who used to crave that kind of power, he felt oddly sick at the thought of so many being slaughtered.

Oh, how things have changed.

Loki turned his attention away from the ash mounds and tried to redirect his thoughts to the matter at hand: to finding his brother.

If Thor wasn't here, or on Earth at all, where could he have gone?

Loki assumed there were still some Asgardian survivors somewhere, so maybe Thor went to find them. He didn't know if that Valkyrie chick was still alive, but if she was, she'd probably be a good place to start looking for answers.

Loki wondered, as he traversed back and forth to different planets, what his brother was going through. He didn't know the fates of the other Avengers, but he hoped, for Thor's sake, that they were all right.

As much as he hated the group of superheroes, he hated Thanos a hell of a lot more. The exiled god thought rather bleakly that there might not be much point in trying to help now, but he wanted to see his brother regardless.

Even if Loki was dead, he still wanted to provide Thor with some type of comfort that he wasn't completely gone forever. He was a lot of things, but always cared about his older brother more than he'd have like to admit.

He now supposed that what got him killed, in the end. Perhaps if he had just stayed on Sakaar, none of this would have happened. He might've been okay. He might've been able to get away alive.

But then again, if he hadn't gone with Thor to rescue their people, he might not have been able to save him from Thanos at all.

At that thought, the God of Mischief felt a bit of guilt for even entertaining the idea. Maybe he would've done it in the past, but things had changed, and he couldn't imagine trading Thor's life for his own. Not for any heroic reason, though. In truth, Loki thought it was mostly a kind of selfishness that prompted his decision to sacrifice himself for Thor.

He knew how heartbroken the God of Thunder probably was when he heard his brother's neck snap. He knew how angry and vindictive he must've been with Thanos. But he also knew that it was the only way, and so he did what he had to do.

Loki found it rather strange, as he wiped at his eyes, that he could still cry, despite being dead. He supposed it wasn't the strangest thing he could do, though.

The god was also a bit surprised to find that he still had a bit of his magic left. It wasn't nearly as strong as when he was alive, but somehow a bit of it had remained in his spirit after death.

He supposed it was probably the reason he was able to move throughout various planets and landscapes without having to worry about being trapped in the strange in-between dimension that he'd been in after his visit with Hela. It was a bit nice to still have some semblance of freedom, despite being completely isolated from the living world.

Loki eventually came upon a primarily farming-based planet. It was plain and rather boring, with grimy looking humanoid figures tending to crops and cattle. The thing that caught his eye, however, was a very familiar looking woman. She was saying something to some alien creature, and seemed to be unaware of the fallen god standing a few feet away from her.

Her voice was muffled like all the other voices Loki could not understand, yet another reminder that he was not part of this world anymore. Something peculiar happened then, however. As Valkyrie was saying something to the alien, another voice could be picked up in the background.

It was muffled like the others at first, but then it held a solid tone as it inched closer. Loki could only stare as he saw none other than the God of Thunder himself come out from behind a shed wall. Loki was confused at first, because there was something about his brother that looked different. He was wearing a simple tunic and was carrying what looked like a basket of food in his arms.

What really made him look different, though, was the fact that he had apparently gotten a replacement for the eye he had lost to Hela back on Asgard. Loki smiled despite himself, glad to see his brother having his full sight back again.

"This will hopefully last us a few weeks," Thor said to Valkyrie. "Although I'm afraid that the others are getting sick of the basic diet we all have to follow."

Valkyrie must've said something unpleasant in response, because Thor scowled at her and went back towards the large shed. Loki followed him, if only to see where he was going—or at least that's what he told himself.

It turned out that there were some Asgardian survivors, and that Thor and Valkyrie must've taken them in for the time being. Loki watched in silence as his brother set the basket of food down on a wooden table, and felt a pang of guilt when Thor turned around.

Of course the god couldn't see him, but he just looked so... sad. Loki wished he could do something for his brother, because he looked like he could use some sibling pep-talk at the moment.

"I intend to keep my promise," Loki whispered, knowing his words blew away like a cool breeze. "I promise you, Brother. The sun will shine on us again. I'll fix this, somehow. I'll figure out a way."

Thor looked down, his gaze sullen. He looked a lot worse than when he was talking to Valkyrie just minutes ago. So much worse.

"We never did get that hug, did we?" Loki questioned, knowing he wouldn't get an answer. His eyes welled up with ghostly tears, "I suppose that was just one of many things we missed out on because of me."

The God of Thunder did not respond, because he didn't know that his brother was there in the room with him. He didn't know how much he still cared, and how much he wanted his brother to just be happy again.

"Goodbye, Brother..." Loki whispered softly.

He was about to turn away when he made a decision that changed everything. Loki thought that, if he was never to see Thor again, he might as well make this last moment count—even if his brother wouldn't be able to feel anything at all.

And so, the God of Mischief walked back over to his older brother. He knew it wouldn't really matter, but because he'd missed so many opportunities in the past to show that he did care, he didn't want to give up this last thing. Even if it changed nothing, even if Thor didn't know it, Loki gave his sibling a parting hug.

The fallen god was a bit surprised that he could even interact with a living person at all, but he could also understand what Thor was saying, so maybe it was sibling thing. For whatever reason, though, he was able to give the God of Thunder a hug. Something he'd been wanting to do since they left Asgard with the refugees.

"I'm so sorry," Loki whispered into his brother's chest. "That I could never be the brother you wanted."

He pulled away, then, and was already turning back towards the door when he heard something that made him stop dead in his tracks.

"You were always the brother I wanted, Loki. You were just too stubborn to see it."

Loki blanched, if that was even possible for a spirit to do. Thor wasn't exactly looking at him, but it was like he could sense a presence somewhere in the room.

"I don't know how you're here, Brother. Or if you're even here at all, but don't ever think you disappointed me. You were—are—a lot of things, but never think that I didn't want you around. You meant everything to me—and you still do." Thor turned around, then. "Even if I'll never get to see you again."

The God of Mischief never thought himself a crier, but lately he'd been realizing a lot of things about himself. "You'll see me again," he said through tears. "I promise, Thor. I promise this won't be goodbye forever."

"Can you really promise something like that, though?" Thor replied, more to himself than to his dead brother. "Because I've been mourning for years, Loki. Years. So much has changed since you've... died, and I'm not sure I'm willing to wait all that much longer."

Loki didn't understand what his brother meant at first, but then he saw something shiny in his brother's hands, and went rigid. "No..." he said, horrified. "Y-you can't... why would you..."

"The universe is dying," Thor said flatly, examining the dagger in his hands with feigned curiosity. "Thanos thought he was saving it, but instead he's killing it."

"I don't understand—"

"There's nothing left for us," his brother noted bleakly. "Nothing. Our supplies are running out, and our people are dying of sickness. It might sound terrible, but sometimes I consider... the possibly of an escape from this hell we've all been subjected to live in."

"You are not going to do this," Loki said resolutely. "There's no way I'm letting you throw everything away because of me!" He grabbed the dagger from Thor, briefly surprised that he could even do that much—since he usually phased through objects like that—and gave his brother a hard look. "I always thought that I was the one with a death wish, but clearly I was wrong."

"But you are dead," his brother said flatly. "And, speaking of that, why are you even here? Shouldn't you be in the Afterlife or something?"

At this question, the exiled god looked around nervously, despite Thor not being able to see him. "Yeah, about that... it turns out that our sister is the ruler of the Underworld, and she really does not like me."

Thor almost chuckled at this, almost. "Wow, you're so hated that even the Goddess of Death herself doesn't want you."

Loki scowled, but didn't mind the insult. It reminded him of simpler times. "Yes, well, if it wasn't for her hatred of me, I wouldn't be here right now talking to you."

"And that's supposed to be a good thing?" His brother grumbled half-heartedly.

"Uh, yes. Of course it is. I'm not going to let you throw your life away because of Thanos. Maybe... maybe I can do something. Maybe you and I can figure out a way to fix everything."

"When did you get so optimistic?"

Loki sighed, "Please, Brother. I came here with the intention of saying goodbye, but if there's some way for me to help fix this..." he trailed off, seeing his brother's darkening expression.

"Loki, I appreciate your change of heart—truly—but it's too late to fix what Thanos did," Thor said with an unreadable look on his face. "You might as well go back to the Underworld, for the amount of good you can do here."

The fallen god's expression fell. "Brother..." he pleaded. "What happened to you?"

"You should go," Thor responded, ignoring the question. "It will look weird if Valkyrie walks in to see me talking to myself."

"I'm not going to leave you here just so you can mope around!" Loki shouted exasperatedly. "And it's not like I have anywhere better to be," he added bitterly.

"I appreciate the effort you made to see me," Thor said, tone softening some. "But I don't think you can be of much help anymore. I mean, you don't even have any magic."

"I do, though!" Loki responded with enthusiasm. "It's not all gone! Somehow, a bit of it still resides in my spirit."

Thor considered this for a moment. "Even so," he eventually said. "It's not nearly enough stop Thanos."

Loki gave his brother a look, "What about you, then? You're the God of Thunder! Why can't you try something?"

"Don't you think I have?" Thor responded wearily. "We all tried to stop him... but it wasn't enough. He's unstoppable."

Loki rolled his eyes, skeptical. "Okay, okay. Time for self-pitying is over, Brother. We're going to stop Thanos."

"How?!" Thor exclaimed. "No offense, Loki, but you're dead! How can you do anything aside from a little magic?"

The God of Mischief smirked, "Well, Thanos thinks I'm permanently gone, for one thing. What he doesn't know is that I can wield the Space Stone."

"What are you talking about?" His brother asked, crossing his arms. "It doesn't matter if you can wield an Infinity Stone anymore, because Thanos has all of them now. There's no way he'd give them up."

"Well, of course not. But we could take them from him."

Thor rolled his eyes, "Like we haven't thought of that already."

"I can help you and the rest of the Avengers!" Loki tried to assure his brother. "I can be the spy that no one suspects."

Thor raised an eyebrow, "Why, because you're dead?"

"Because I have the advantage of being invisible," he corrected. "And I can assist you with my magic."

"Are you sure this isn't just an excuse for you to stick around a little longer?" Thor questioned jokingly.

"Well... that too, I suppose. It's not like I wanted to die."

Thor gave his brother an odd look, then. Like he might've actually thought Loki wanted to die at Thanos's hands. "Oh, God no," Loki responded to his brother's unspoken question. "If you thought that was an attempt at a noble suicide, you couldn't be more wrong." He shook his head, disgusted even at the idea. "I did it for you, Thor. If I thought there was even a chance I could spare you from death..." Loki trailed, his voice wavering a bit. "No. You've always been the stronger one between the two of us. If you died back there... well there's a reason why I've never been able to be the hero."

Thor looked touched by his brother's statement. "You really have changed, haven't you?"

Loki grinned even though Thor couldn't see him. "Only because of you, Brother."

The exiled god thought things were done then, since they agreed to try and stop Thanos together. But then the God of Thunder did something strange. "You know," he said to Loki. "The whole time you've been talking to me, I've been able to see more of you. Like, you were just a misty figure when you got here... but now I can actually see you."

"Really?" Loki asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's so weird. I wonder why that is."

Thor shrugged, "Maybe your magic is slowly coming back... or maybe it's just a sibling thing."

Loki smiled, "Yeah... maybe it is."

Thor sighed, "I suppose I never did give you that hug all those years ago, and I guess you do deserve it."

"But I already—" Loki started to protest, but his brother was already enveloping him in a crushing bear hug. "Oof. How are you still able to squeeze the life out of me when I'm not even alive anymore?" Loki complained halfheartedly.

Thor chuckled, "Some things never change, I guess."

"Yeah... I guess not," Loki agreed, not willing to admit aloud that he was glad to be by his brother's side again.

"Thor? What in God's name are you doing?" Valkyrie exclaimed, walking into the shed. "Quit hugging the air and help me load up these vegetables."

The two brothers pulled apart, unbeknownst to the woman. Thor began to help her sort through the newly harvested crops, and caught Loki smirking at him. He rolled his eyes and continued working, but couldn't help the small smile that found its way into his face at the thought of having his brother back again.


	10. Eternal Letters

(Sorry in advance, I've been suffering some major writer's block, so that's why I haven't updated in the past two days. This will probably be fairly short, and not that great, but I hope you like it anyways.)

Stories. That's what we all are in the end. Some of them might be better or more interesting than others, but we all have them. Our story, though, it was a bit crazier than most.

I always knew that you'd be all right, in the end. The heroes always are. Your story would get a happy ending... right?

You did get a happy ending. Your friends returned and your people... our people, were okay. You reconnected with old colleagues, and went on adventures with new loves. You seemed so happy, so content.

Did I misread you? Do I not know you as well as I used to?

I've been watching, of course. I always watch you, Brother. Eternity lasts a long time, and I'm getting pretty bored without you here to spend it with me.

Our parents are at peace, finally. And at least they know you're doing all right. They don't quite know I'm here, exactly. I mean, technically, I'm not even supposed to be here.

In some ways, I guess it's a good thing that our sister shares a mutual disdain for the both of us. She didn't much like the idea of dealing with me for the rest of time, so I guess she struck up a deal with... the rulers of your heaven.

Needless to say, I don't fit in all that much. Which is why I've decided to watch you, instead. You seem to be having a lot of fun down in the living world, and I'm just a little envious of it all.

I guess at some point along the way, I realized that you weren't as happy and content as everyone else seemed to think you were, and I wanted to know why. It didn't make sense to me, for a while. I thought you were satisfied with how your story was going, and I couldn't possibly fathom why you spent hours at a time holed up in your room, clearly upset.

It had been years since I'd been gone, and I figured you had long moved on. For your sake, I hoped you'd moved on. It seemed like you were still wracked with grief, though. It was as if you never quite got the closure you wanted.

I wanted to talk to you, to tell you it would be all right, that you'd get to see me again someday, but I obviously couldn't say anything at all. It actually occurred to me, in those days, that even in the Afterlife I might not get to see you—if you decided to stay with our family instead. Not that I would blame you, because I know you love them more than I do. But I felt a bit hopeless at the thought of being truly alone... forever.

Your story began to shift, though. You seemed to be getting more distant from your friends. You didn't laugh as loud, you didn't smile as wide. You were cracking at the edges, and people were starting to get worried.

When we were kids, in what seems like a lifetime ago, people used to joke and say that we were inseparable. Never one without the other, they'd say. They bring out the best in each other, Mother would say wistfully. They wouldn't be where they are now if it wasn't for what they've been through together...

For a while, that seemed to be a bad thing. Because, for a handful of years, I kind of hated you. Not really, of course. I was a bit jealous and insecure, but I could never actually hate you. You're my brother, my friend. I could never trade your life for mine.

Perhaps you realized, after I was gone, how truly inseparable we were. Perhaps you wanted to see me as badly as I wanted to see you, because Forever is a long time to not have your brother by your side for. Perhaps that's why you did what you did.

Maybe you thought it was your own attempt at sacrifice, but everyone else seemed to called it suicide. You tried to go up against something much to powerful to handle, and you suffered severely because of it.

I knew that look, as the light faded from your eyes and your body fell limply in the cold ground. You thought you'd get to see me again. You thought the sun would finally shine on us once more.

You couldn't have been more wrong, and I couldn't have been more heartbroken because of it. You see, Hela didn't quite like the idea of us being happy when she wasn't, and she never really like either of us all that much to begin with.

For this reason, I suppose, she decided to take it upon herself to banish me to the depths of Hel, with no chance of return. You, on the other hand, got a one-way ticket to spending eternity with our parents and family.

I guess heroes don't always get a happy ending to their stories, even if others think so. And villains certainly never do.

Now, though, I've come to terms with things. You're happy, which is all I've ever wanted for you. Maybe I'm not with you, but I hope you can still feel my spirit, in your Afterlife. It's much harder to project myself there than in the living realm, but magic has always been my strong suit, and it's somehow carried over into this life as well.

If I could just get this letter to you, maybe it would clear the air. In short, I've always loved you, Brother, and it's quite a shame that I've only been able to admit this in light of death. If things could've been different... but they weren't. I didn't get what I wanted because of the choices I made in life, but you deserved better.

If you receive this message, know that I'd like nothing more than to get a do-over. To make up for all the time I wasted on being jealous and petty. I hope you're happy, truly. And I hope you know I'll always be here for you, even if you can't see me.

Maybe we'll meet again someday, if I can convince Hela to let me see you. Perhaps her bitterness will die down in the next several thousand years... that was a joke, if you couldn't tell.

Anyways, until we see each other again...

—Yours Truly, Loki, God of Mischief


	11. Broken: Part One

ONE-SHOT (Part One)

I am broken, this phrase echoed in Loki's thoughts over and over like a jammed record player. He couldn't hear, he couldn't see, he couldn't even feel what was going on around him. But those three little words circled around in his head in a never-ending loop.

Everything has been lost because of him. He had ruined it all. He had failed his family, his people, his brother. He was truly and utterly a failure.

I am broken.

He wasn't dead. No, death would be too kind for a person like himself. He had done this to himself, he had caused this. It was all his fault.

They first took his brother, but he was strong enough to get away. It was after that when they got to him. Loki was certain they'd never find him—he sure as hell made sure Thor couldn't. But somehow they did, and when they did, they made him suffer.

I am broken.

Loki was first captured, then imprisoned in the farthest corner of the universe. They did something to him, not physically, but mentally. It wasn't quite like Hydra... no. It was something much worse.

The defeated God was left in a dark cell for what seemed like months. He couldn't see anything, he was completely dissociated from his surroundings. After those cold, dreary months all alone, they did something to prevent him from hearing their conversations. It was temporary, thankfully, but it seemed to somehow permanently damage his hearing.

Even now, he could hear low whispers that he knew weren't real.

Once they moved him to another, slightly less terrible cell, they did something to cut off all sense of feeling. He supposed this was because they started to draw blood frequently, and began to perform multiple tests on him.

At that point, he was much too weak to fight back.

I am broken.

After some time passed, the tests stopped. They allowed him his hearing and feeling back, and he thought things might be looking up. Of course, though, things only got worse.

"You are worthless," one of them hissed at Loki. "You deserve to die for what you've done."

"But we have a better solution," another one said. "One that will ensure you do not fail us again."

Loki was the God of Mischief, after all, and he'd been saving all of his strength up for this one moment. He still had his magic, and that seemed to be the only thing he had left. They may have destroyed his body, but he still a sharper mind than most, and it wasn't broken easily.

I am broken.

"You see," their leader drawled out in a deceivingly casual tone. "Hydra failed because they could not sufficiently control their people. They tried far too harsh approaches, and didn't realize that all of their work could be undone with just a few key words." He pulled out something from behind him, a vial of inky liquid. "But, you see, this problem can be solved very simply."

Two armed men entered the room, restraining Loki, despite him making no move to resist anything. The God had learned, several months back, that it was far easier to go along with everything and wait for an opportunity to strike—which he was hoping would be very, very soon.

"This serum is much too potent for humans, and often resulted in death. But on a God? Well, I hope this works as well as it has on our test subjects." The leader examined the contents of the vial with fascination, "Yes... this will certainly be interesting."

Loki felt the first prick of panic since he was captured. He didn't know what that serum contained, but he didn't want to find out. He needed to act, and quick.

"It will only take a couple minutes to take effect," the man continued. "And once it hits the bloodstream... well, it won't be easy to get rid of."

Loki eyed the substance with wariness. "What is it?" He dared to ask.

The man gave him a curious look, as if surprised to find that the God still had a voice. To be far, Loki hadn't spoken all that much since he'd gotten there. He didn't exactly have much to say.

"It's punishment for your failure," the man replied with a sudden coldness. "You will not fail us ever again."

He stepped closer towards the God, eyeing him with just a wink of hatred hidden among his otherwise placid features. "And we will make you pay in other ways as well."

"What will the serum do?" Loki pressed, not caring for the man's arrogant words.

"It will make you comply," the man smirked. "But unlike Hydra's methods, this serum is infused with something special. Something that will ensure you can't break free from our control."

Loki raised an eyebrow, trying to maintain his nonchalant facade.

"It's made with magic," the man explained. He smirked then, "Your magic, to be exact."

So that's why they were drawing all that blood.

"And what exactly is it that you want me to do?" Loki questioned. "How do you know whether or not I will be willing to do it of my own choice? Perhaps I can fulfill your wishes without the use of the serum."

The man chuckled hollowly. "Ah, you hunk you're clever, don't you? No. You will pay for what you've done, Trickster God." The leader brought the vial of dark liquid up close to Loki's face. "In the past, You may have called yourself a monster, but you don't have a clue about monsters. With this serum, you will truly become one—and you won't be able to do anything to stop it."

I am broken.

The man stepped back, a smug look on his face. "And besides, I don't think you'd willingly want to harm your brother... unless something's changed since we last saw the two of you? You always were switching sides."

At the mention of Thor, Loki stiffened. He tried to keep his face a mask, but he knew the man could see the fear in his emerald eyes.

"Ah," the man said, seemingly amused at Loki's expression. "So you do still care about him."

"If you think you can make me hurt him, then you better think again. Try whatever magical serum you have, but I would never hurt my brother," Loki spat angrily.

The leader merely shrugged, seeming to be unfazed by Loki's statement. "I guess we'll see about that, then. Won't we?" He examined the vial once more, looking pleased with himself. "You know," he said after a moment. "Perhaps I was wrong to say you'll become a monster."

Loki was getting annoyed with the man's stalling, and tried to figure out the best way to use his magic and get the hell out of wherever he was being held.

"No..." the man continued. "You will not become a monster at all. Monsters can be killed, and you will be invincible. This serum won't make you a monster, Loki. It will make you a demon."

"Oh really?" The God replied, raising an eyebrow. "'Cause I don't really believe in that sort of thing."

The man grinned, "Then this will be even more exciting."

He nodded to the two guards, then, and they tightened their hold on the God. Loki knew this would be his only chance to do something. He tried to send out shockwaves of magic, to catch the two off-guard, but he was rather disconcerted to find his abilities gone.

"Something wrong?" The leader said with a coy smile. "Didn't think we'd leave you with any chance of escape, did you?"

Loki began to panic. As much as he wanted to say he wasn't afraid, he didn't want that serum anywhere near him. "You're making a huge mistake," he tried to threaten. "If Thor finds out about what you've done to me..."

The man laughed, "Your brother hasn't the slightest clue of where you are—you made sure of that, didn't you?—and it won't matter, even if he did. By the time he gets here, you'll already have taken the serum. You'll already be gone."

Loki tried one last shot at using his magic, but couldn't even find the slightest trickle of it left in his veins. "You will pay for this," He seethed. "I will never obey you."

The man smiled coldly, "Like I said before, we'll just have to see about that, won't we?"

Before Loki could react, the man shoved the vial and its contents into his neck. The God felt an intense burning, and then nothing. His world went dark... then everything changed.


	12. A Second Chance

Thoughts. Old thoughts, new thoughts, long forgotten thoughts. They all seemed to plague him. They all reminded him of what could have been. Of how he could have changed things. Of how he wasted so much of his life focused on arrogant and selfish things. He should have been more perceptive, he should have tried to do something before it was too late.

He so desperately wished to go back in time and fix what had been broken so long ago. Perhaps if he was kinder, or smarter, or wiser, he could have done something to save them all. He'd lost everything, truly. His friends, his parents, his people. Those were losses he was willing to bare, but then he lost his own brother... and that changed everything.

He was now truly and utterly alone.

The God of Thunder selfishly wished he would have been the one to die at the hands of Thanos, just so he wouldn't have to carry the weight of all his losses. He wanted nothing more than to go back and change what had happened. He wished to go back to simpler times, times when he wasn't an Avenger. Times when he didn't care about the people of Earth. He just wanted to go back home...

Thor didn't quite know what happened. One minute he was mourning the loss of his loved ones, and the next thing he knew, he was standing in the middle of a courtyard adorned with traditional Asgardian foliage. He stood there, motionless, not able to comprehend what was happening. There was no way his wish came true, that wasn't how life worked. This wasn't real, it couldn't be real. He walked around the palace courtyard, in complete awe of how... real everything seemed. Surely this was just a dream, there was no way...

"Brother? Why are you just standing there? Have you fallen down the stairs again?" an eerily familiar voice came from somewhere behind him. "Although, I have to admit that I did push you that one time, which means that you probably didn't fall this time, either." Loki smirked, coming into Thor's view. "C'mon, what gives? Why are you looking at me like you've seen a ghost?"

Thor couldn't process what was happening, but somehow his little brother, his annoying, backstabbing brother was there, and he couldn't stop the grin that stretched across his face. "Loki!" the God of Thunder exclaimed with pure exuberance. "You-you're really here!"

Loki gave his brother a confused look, "Uh... yes. Where else would I be? Did you actually fall and hit your head or something?"

Thor shook his head, still smiling. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you, Brother. I..." he trailed off, at a loss for words. "I didn't think I'd get a second chance."

The God of Mischief furrowed his eyebrows, "A second chance at what? You are not making any sense, Thor. Have you been drinking?"

The older God laughed, "No, absolutely not." He gave his brother a suddenly dark look, "I thought you were gone forever."

"You really are not making any sense right now, Brother. Should I call in the doctor to make sure you didn't-" Loki was cut off by Thor giving him a bone-crushing hug. "Get off!" the younger God shouted. "What the hell has gotten into you!?"

Thor just chuckled in response, pulling his brother closer. "I should've done this when I had

the chance," he said, a bit more sullenly. "If I'd have known..."

"Thor," Loki sighed. "I still have no idea what you're going on about, but can you please stop this ridiculous hugging? There is really no need for this."

"Sorry," Thor said in response. "I just... got a little caught up in the moment a bit." He stepped back from his brother, reluctant to let go for fear of losing him again.

Loki rolled his eyes, "Okay," he said sarcastically. "There's no need to be so over-dramatic, Thor."

There was a beat of silence, and the God of Thunder realized how much younger his brother looked. How far back in time had he gone? Had his brother learned of his true heritage yet? Did he know Odin's true intentions? He didn't think so, because Loki still had the spark in his eyes that he'd lost at a very young age. He still looked at his older brother with adoration instead of hatred. He wasn't corrupted, yet. Thor felt a lump in his throat, he felt guilty for all the things his little brother was about to go through. He was only a teenager, he had no idea what the future would hold for him.

Thor wondered if he could somehow prevent everything happen. If he could stop his brother from going down that dark path that would eventually lead to his death. He'd at least try to prevent it from happening, even if time proved to be fixed and immovable. God, he'd do anything to see his little brother happy and innocent again. They had been through far too much together for Thor to give up now.

"Perhaps I am just coming down with a cold," Thor said, trying to explain away is odd behavior. "Maybe I should see a doctor, after all."

Loki rose an eyebrow, "You haven't gotten ill in years, Brother. I'm pretty sure the last time you got sick was when we were just children."

"You got me sick," Thor said, remembering the incident his brother was referring to. "You had the flu, but insisted on crawling into bed with me because you couldn't sleep. I spent the next three days throwing up while you ditched me to hang out with my friends." He frowned in mock anger, "It really seems that all of my problems have come from you."

The God of Mischief grinned, "Can't disagree with that." He smirked, then, pointing up to a balcony where Thor's room was. "I have something in there for you, by the way. You like snakes, right?"

The younger version of Thor would have been royally pissed off with the younger prince's antics, but now he saw them for what they were. He finally understood that everything Loki did to him as a teenager was just a desperate attempt at getting attention, and he was finally willing to give it to him. Perhaps this was the first step in fixing things. Maybe if he paid attention to his brother at this young age, he wouldn't go to such extremes as trying to take over Earth as an adult.

Because of this, Thor simply smiled and said, "You're quite fond of snakes, aren't you? I've always wondered why. Is it their ability to slip away, undetected? Or perhaps it's their infamous reputation for slithering around and striking when one least expects it."

Loki stared at his brother, dumbfounded. "Wow, you, the God of Thunder, has finally said something perceptive for once? What has happened to you, dear brother?"

Thor shrugged noncommittally. "I think I know you better than most, Brother. Perhaps even more than you know yourself."

"I highly doubt that," Loki scoffed. "But I do appreciate your efforts."

Thor rolled his eyes at his younger sibling, "Is it even possible for you to say something nice about me? It really can't be that difficult."

Loki smirked, "You have no idea, Brother. Even when I do try, it's really quite the effort."

The older prince playfully glared at his brother, "One of these days, your attitude is going to catch up with you. You'll see."

The God of Mischief scoffed, "Is that a weak attempt at threatening me, Brother? Because if so, it's quite pitiful."

"A threat? Oh, no. It's just a fact." Thor shrugged casually, "And besides, I'm pretty sure you're going to want to find those snakes pretty soon."

Loki frowned, "Why?"

"Well... perhaps you don't spend as much time in this courtyard as I do, dear Brother, because that," Thor pointed at the balcony above them. "Is not my room."

The younger God looked perplexed for a moment, but then he realized what Thor meant. "Oh shit, Mother's going to kill me if I ruin another bedroom!" he exclaimed, running out of the courtyard. "I really hate you sometimes, Thor," he added as afterthought. "You know that, right?"

The God of Thunder just laughed in reply. It was something like this, a simple sibling rivalry, that made him want to save his brother from his future even more. Who knew that something he once found so annoying could become so endearing? Thor honestly hoped this wasn't some dream or sick joke someone was trying to play on him. He'd been given a second chance, and he was determined to do all he could to keep the relationship he had with his brother from falling apart.

He wouldn't mess this up. He wouldn't be selfish this time. He'd become the king of Asgard with his brother by his side, and he'd make sure Loki knew how much he meant to him. He'd do everything right this time. He wouldn't let his little brother down.

Author's Note: This is very cheesy, I am aware of that. XD I've been having a bit of writer's bock, so that's why i haven't uploaded anything in a few days. I hope you guys enjoyed this one-shot, and if you did, be sure to leave me a review! It's always nice to know what people like, and what they want to see more of in the future. Feedback is always appreciated! I'll try to update again tomorrow, but I can't promise anything. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed this admittedly fluff-filled one-shot.

-Miss Faith


	13. Finally Shining

ONE SHOT:

(Disclaimer: this will be sad and really cheesy at times, you have been warned...)

"I'm so, so sorry..." Thor sobbed. "I never meant for things to go this far."

"Well, they did," Loki spat bitterly. "And now you leave me no choice."

Thor shook his head, "You're better than this. You don't have to do this. There has to be another way..."

Loki ignored his comment, instead focusing on what he must do next. "I do admit that I did not want things to come to this either, if it makes you feel any better." He stepped away from his brother, "But I cannot say that I regret what I've done."

"You've come so far, though," Thor pleaded. "You were finally becoming the hero!"

Loki rolled his eyes, unmoved. "Clearly you don't know me very well, then. Because I am most certainly not a hero—nor have I ever been one."

The God of Thunder gave his brother a pitying look. He hated what Loki was about to do, and he hated even more how how couldn't stop him. "Please, Brother. You've spent your whole life trying to live up to someone else's expectation. For once, just once, will you please do something for yourself? This isn't going to change anything. You still won't be—"

"Shut up!" Loki shouted, pointing a large dagger at his older brother. "Nothing you can say will change my mind, so don't even bother."

Thor wanted to say something more, to try and convince him that there was another way to achieve his goal, but the God of Mischief was done listening. "You've wasted enough of my time already," he said in an annoyed tone. "It's time to end this."

Before Thor could respond, or do anything at all, Loki was already moving towards the other person in the room—Valkyrie. "I was promised something very special in return for killing you, so I can only hope that your death is actually worth something," he sneered at her.

She looked furious, but her bindings, much like Thor's, were infused with magic. They were virtually indestructible, and the Asgardian warrior had no chance of escaping from them. "You're sick," she hissed. "And you're a fool for thinking this will gain you anything."

Loki was far beyond reasoning with at this point, and Valkyrie was beginning to see this. Thor's younger brother was always a little unpredictable and a little on the morally gray side. He was never... this evil, though. He was never this hell-bent on destruction. What happened to him?

"Please," Thor continued to plead weakly. "You are so much more than this."

"If only that were true, dear Brother." Loki turned to face Thor, "But it's not." He glared at the older God, "And it never was."

Valkyrie's breath hitched as she saw the weapon Loki was holding, and how it was aimed directly at her now. "You will suffer for this," she seethed. "You won't get away with this."

The younger God shrugged nonchalantly. "Perhaps I will, in time. But I've been through much worse."

The Asgardian shook her head, "No. the guilt will get to you. You'll regret this every day for the rest of your pointless life. You won't be able to live with yourself—"

"That's enough," Loki said sharply, cutting her off. "You're just stalling for time." He brought the dagger up to her throat, "and yours has run out." Before the Valkryien could even respond, Loki had already cut her throat.

It was a bit strange, for Thor. It happened rather quickly, and without much of a climax. It was just one clean, quick cut. The God of Thunder didn't quite react at first, too transfixed by the stream of blood that was gushing out of the woman's neck. Her head slumped, and her body went limp. She was dead in seconds.

It took a good few seconds before Thor started screaming. He was never particularly attached to the Asgardian, and didn't even know her that well, but now she was dead. And his brother had killed her.

"How... how could you..." Thor was at a loss for words. "You're a monster!" He shouted coldly.

Loki smirked, but Thor thought he could almost see remorse in his brother's eyes. Almost. "Yeah, well, it's about time you've figured that out."

Thor felt tears in his eyes, "Why would you do this? I thought we were finally going to be on the same side again."

"You've never been very clever, have you?" Loki sighed with feigned annoyance. "I was never on your side."

Thor didn't, couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was not the Loki he knew. What had happened to him in the time he was trapped inside the Soul Stone? What made him change so much?

"Please..." Thor begged helplessly. "You don't have to do this..."

The younger God simply glared with something that wasn't quite hatred, "Enough of this." He approached Thor, "What's done is done, Brother. There is only one thing left to do."

The God of Thunder knew what was going to happen next. He knew what Loki meant. "I'm so, so sorry," he whispered, tears in his eyes. "I don't know what happened when you... died, but I'm so, so sorry that it's lead to this."

Loki's face remained closed off and hard. He lifted the dagger, "I am, too," he said bitterly. "But nonetheless we're here, aren't we?"

Thor nodded solemnly, "I suppose we are." He knew there would be no coming back from this. If Loki went through with this, it would be a point of no return. Still... he hoped there was enough goodness left in his brother to stop this madness.

Loki brought the knife up just under Thor's chin. The older God could feel the cold metal dig into his skin just enough to draw blood. "Any last words?" The God of Mischief asked rhetorically.

Thor managed a weak smile, "Yes, actually. I do have a few things to say..."

This seemed to surprise the younger God, because he drew the dagger back slightly, and waited for Thor to continue.

"Remember what you told me, back when Thanos attacked our ship?" Thor questioned, hoping to trigger something in his brother's memory. Something that would break this murderous spell he was under.

Loki raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"You... you promised me something, Loki. You said that the sun would shine on us again." Thor looked away sadly, "Well, I guess that will turn out to be true after all... but perhaps in a different way than what you'd meant at the time."

Loki narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?"

"Well..." Thor let out a breath. "If you... go through with this, I suppose I'll finally get to see our parents again..." he laughed humorlessly. "You certainly won't be welcomed there, though," he added seriously, hoping to get through to his brother.

Loki started to look a little uncertain. The dagger, still pointed at Thor, seemed to be lowered slightly. "So? It's not like they're my real parents, anyways," he said flatly.

Thor shook his head, "Forever's a long time, Brother. Remember that when you kill me." He gave Loki a hard look, "because I know that's what you're going to do."

The younger God looked away, his grip on the knife lessening slightly. "You don't understand," he said through clenched teeth. "This isn't something I can stop."

"Of course you can!" Thor exclaimed. "Just drop the knife and let me out of here! You don't have to do this!"

Loki shook his head, still not able to meet his brother's gaze. "No..." he said, voice wavering. "I really, really can't."

The God of Thunder furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "I don't understand."

Loki finally met his brother's eyes, and Thor was surprised to find them filled with tears. "The only reason why I was... brought back from the dead... was to... accomplish a task for someone," he explained in a grim tone. "I shouldn't even be alive right now," he whispered in a broken voice.

Thor was speechless. He had no idea. If he'd have known... "Loki..." he said sympathetically.

"I'd end this if I could," Loki said, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "But there's only one way to do that... and I'm not going to kill you."

Thor frowned, "But you just said—"

"Oh, c'mon," Loki interrupted with a humorless laugh. "You don't actually think I'd kill you, do you?" He looked down at the knife, "No... I could never." He smiled in a kind of way that made Thor worried for a reason he couldn't quite place. "I don't deserve to be here, though... which only leaves me one other option."

Thor was still a bit perplexed, "But... you killed Valkyrie? Why would you do that if you knew you wouldn't be able to kill me?"

"Illusion," his brother answered simply. "Not real." And, as if to prove this, he waved his hand, and the image of the Asgardian's dead body blew away like dust in the wind.

This made Thor feel slightly better, "So you haven't done anything wrong, then." He grinned, "We can still get out of this," he said hopefully.

Loki smiled sadly, "Ah, how I wish that were true." He waved a hand, and the magical bindings fell away from Thor. "You may leave, I suppose. But I can't."

Thor stood up, eyeing the dagger that was now at his brother's side. "No," he said. "Not without you."

Loki blinked back tears, "I can't leave," he repeated. "I was sent here to kill you, and in return I'd get my freedom," he explained. "But the minute you walk out of this room..." he shook his head, "Well, someone has to die."

"No..." Thor said incredulously. "Loki..." he began to panic. "You don't mean..."

The younger God nodded, "I'm afraid it's the only way to prevent them from going after you."

Thor was furious. Not at his brother, of course, but at whoever had put him in this position. "No," the God of Thunder spoke with a tone of finality. "Give me the dagger."

"Thor..." Loki gave his brother a pleading look. "Please just leave."

His brother put out a hand, "Give me the dagger, Brother."

Loki's grip on the weapon tightened. "No, I can't."

"You are not going to do this," Thor said in a voice much weaken than he'd intended. "We can find another way."

"We can't, though," his brother replied with a heavy sigh. "And I'm as good as dead, anyways." He brought the weapon up to his throat, "I'm only doing what I should've done to begin with."

Thor couldn't watch this. He didn't want to see his own brother die in front of him, again—especially since this was basically suicide. "Please..." he begged. "I can't lose you again."

Loki managed a weak smile, "You're strong, Brother. You will be fine without me."

Thor felt tears stream down his face. "I won't, though. Nothing will be the same without you."

Loki's grip on the knife lessened, "Thor..." he began, his voice hitching.

"It won't," the older God persisted. "And if you're going to go through with this... then so will I."

The younger God didn't understand what his brother meant. He gave a him a look, "I'm not sure I follow."

"We will leave this place together," Thor explained. "Even if that means... also leaving this world as well."

Loki seemed to finally catch on, and he shook his head vehemently. "No. No," he had a sudden fire in his previously dead eyes. "You will not sacrifice yourself for my benefit."

Thor gave his brother a defiant look, "Either we find a way around this together, or we go through with this together. I am not leaving this room without you."

Loki chuckled through tears, "You're absolutely insane, Brother. This is... this is madness."

Thor smiled at the reference, "It's funny, to think that those were words I used to tell you."

"Things have changed so much, haven't they?" Loki said, the dagger now back at his side again. "To think that we're willing to die for each other, when we used to hated each other so much."

"I never hated you," Thor disagreed. "You're the one who's changed... who's grown. I've only been lucky enough to see it happen."

"I'm only who I am because of you," Loki reminded him with a ghost of a smirk.

"And I because of you," Thor agreed. "Which is why I won't let you go through with this alone."

The younger God chuckled, "You really aren't going to let go of this, are you?"

"Only if you do," Thor replied stubbornly.

Loki sighed, "I really, really do hate you sometimes, Thor."

"Why?"

"Because you can somehow always find the words to stop me from doing things l'd probably regret later on." Loki's gaze dropped to the dagger still in his hand. "And I suppose I was a fool for thinking this time would be any different."

Thor rose an eyebrow expectantly.

"Fine," Loki said, tossing the dagger away. "We'll find another way out of this."

Thor grinned, pulling his brother into a bear-hug. Loki usually resisted this type of affection, but he realized how much he needed his brother. "I'm only allowing this because we missed out on our last hug."

"What do you mean?" Thor questioned, pulling away from his brother.

"Before Thanos showed up," Loki reminded him. "On the ship."

Thor nodded, "Ah, yes. That hug."

"And now that we've had that hug," Loki continued. "I won't feel guilty about never giving you one."

Thor laughed, "Yeah, okay. That's the only reason why you 'allowed' it." He rolled his eyes his younger brother, "It's okay to show that you care, sometimes, Loki." Thor wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "Especially when that person has died as many times as you have," he added jokingly.

Loki rolled his eyes playfully, "Ha, ha." He looked down at the ground, "For so long, though," he said seriously, "For so long I thought it was a weakness... to care. It took me God knows how long to see that it wasn't. It took me so long to realize that it was actually a strength." Loki chuckled, blinking away tears, "Wow, I'm such a mess, aren't I?"

Thor smiled kindly, "Yeah... you kind of are. But that's okay, because you've been through way more than anyone should, and you deserve a lot better than what you've gotten."

Loki looked over at his older brother, "Well... that's not completely true. I have you, after all. And there's no way I deserve all that you've done for me."

"Okay, that's a bit over dramatic," Thor replied, rolling his eyes.

"You were willing to sacrifice everything for me," Loki said, a bit incredulous. "That's no small thing to do for someone."

Thor shrugged, "You're all I have left," he replied simply. "Without you... Well, there's nothing else here for me, anymore."

Loki grinned, "C'mon, Brother. I've already agreed to go with you. You really don't need to guilt-trip me anymore than you already have."

Thor chuckled softly, "Okay, Okay. Let's get out of here."

The two walked out of the abandoned warehouse, Thor's arm still wrapped around his brother's shoulders. For the first time in what seemed like forever, the two Gods finally felt like the sun might shine on them again.

Author's Note: Okay, wow, this one-shot was a lot longer than I'd anticipated. XD. I told you it would be cheesy and sad!

I'm really busy with school stuff right now, so I'll try to have another one-shot up by tomorrow, but I can't guarantee anything.

~ Miss Faith


	14. New Friends?

ONE-SHOT (this is totally random, but I thought I should write something. i've still been having writer's block, so this might suck a bit. i hope you guys enjoy it anyways, though!)

"So," my brother says as he barges into my room. "Today is a special day."

I raise an eyebrow, setting aside a book I'm reading. "Oh? Why?"

"Today is the day you get to meet some of my friends," Thor says with a grin.

I scowl, picking the book up again. "No. The Avengers hate me. I'd much rather stay here and read, if you wouldn't mind."

"I do," Thor says in a mildly annoyed tone. He walks over and takes the book out of my hands, "You need to make friends, Loki. Staying up in your room all day long isn't healthy."

"I have friends," I reply defensively. "And I don't stay in my room all day. Sometimes I go down to Central Park."

Thor rolls his eyes at me. "You need to actually go out and do something... constructive for once, Brother. And where are all these friends you speak of, by the way. Because I don't think I've seen you ever hang out with anyone—"

I'm about to object, but then Thor adds, "besides me and Valkyrie."

I frown, sighing exasperatedly. "Well, it's not like very many people would like to spend their afternoon discussing politics over a cup of tea with a well-known super-villain."

Thor gives me a sympathetic look, "C'mon, Brother. People know you've changed. I'm sure they'll understand why you did what you did in the past if you just tell them."

"It took a long time for you to understand," I mutter bitterly. "How will strangers ever be able to understand?"

My brother frowns, "You have to try, at least." He shrugs, "Just be yourself."

I smirk, snickering. "That's a dangerous thing to say to someone like me, dear Brother. Most people prefer me to be less... mischievous."

"Can't disagree with that," Thor responds with a tired sigh. "But you haven't tried to pull any stupid pranks lately, so maybe you're improving!" He adds with a grin.

I roll my eyes at him, "You're really not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope," he replies. "And you should be thanking me. I'm helping you have a better social life."

I reluctantly get off of my bed and go over to my closet to retrieve my jacket. Before I can put it on, though, Thor gives me a look and says, "Maybe you should try to wear something less... intimidating."

I furrow my eyebrows at him, "What do you mean? It's just a jacket; how is it intimidating?"

He takes it from me and puts it back in the closet. "It just... it makes you stand out a bit," Thor says a bit awkwardly. "You should wear something a bit more neutral. Something that will make you blend in more."

I frown, "But basically all of my clothing is black. I don't have 'neutral' clothing."

"Can't you just," Thor waves his hands around in the air, "conjure up some new clothing or something?"

I glare at him, offended. "You have no idea how my magic works, do you?" I stomp over to my dresser and rummage through it. "You've known me your entire life and you still haven't the slightest idea about how my abilities work, do you?" I give him a withering look, "All the times I've tried to explain that I can only create illusions of something that's not really there..." I shake my head. "I cannot 'conjure up clothing' as you put it so eloquently. My magic is very specific, I'm afraid, and I cannot create something that wasn't there already."

"So all the times you've changed clothing with your magic... it wasn't an illusion?" Thor asks, confused.

"No," I reply shortly. "My powers allow me to access an inter-dimensional pocket-verse that I can store materialistic items in. I can use those items whenever the need arises, and they can be of virtually any size"

My brother stares at me blankly.

I sigh, "You know how I'm able to store the tesseract and keep it in a secure place that no one else can access?" I say, trying a different approach.

Thor nods, "Yeah..."

"Well I can do the same with clothing, or anything else for that matter."

"Hmm..." Thor seems to think this over for a moment. "How come you've never explained this to me in the past?"

I give him a hard look, "Because I assumed you already knew." I frown, "Perhaps I've overestimated your intelligence level. You always have seemed more keen on using brute strength rather than strategy."

Thor narrows his eyes at me, crossing his arms indignantly. "What's that supposed to mean? If you're trying to imply that I'm stupid or something—"

"I'm not," I assure him. "You've just never been interested in... scholarly things." I pause. "I think you are what Midgardians refer to as a 'jock'."

Thor raises an eyebrow, "What's that?"

I shrug, "A stereotype that's particularly popular in American high schools for some reason."

Thor looks annoyed for some reason, but says, "You're just trying to stall for time so you don't have to meet my friends."

I groan. "I already told you, the Avengers hate me—"

"You're not meeting the Avengers," Thor interrupts. "You're going to meet some people that... aren't from Earth."

This makes me curious. "Oh, really? Who are they, then?"

"They call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy," Thor replies. "Although I must admit that they don't seem to be guarding all that much nowadays."

Right. Ever since Thanos was stopped, things have been fairly peaceful on Earth... and most other places in the galaxy. It's a pleasant reprieve from the past six years, to say the least.

"How many of them are there?" I ask hesitantly.

"Originally, there were six of them, but a few months ago Gamora's sister joined the mix. Personally, I'm not all that fond of her, but they are siblings... so I guess if you have one, you also get stuck with the other."

"Hmm, that does sound familiar," I respond, smirking. "Maybe we will get along after all."

Thor rolls his eyes at me, "Just try to be civil, please."

"When aren't I?" I reply innocently.

He sighs and walks toward the door. "Just be ready in fifteen. I've told them to meet us in the cafe across the street."

"What am I supposed to wear, since I don't have any 'neutral' clothing?"

Thor gives me a look, "I'm sure you'll find something that will work." He's walking out of my room and is in the hallway when he turns back to add, "Oh, and there's one other person I want you to meet. He's from here, and he's been pestering me about meeting you all month."

I raise an eyebrow, "Why would someone want to meet me?"

Thor shrugs, "He's kind of a weird kid. He's only a teenager, and he's like, super obsessed with all the Avengers."

"Why?"

"I honestly don't know. Technically he is one himself, but he just seems so... young." Thor shakes his head, "Try not to scare him, Loki. He's really looking forward to this."

"I'll be on my best behavior," I say sarcastically.


	15. A New Perspective: Part One (Prompt)

ONE-SHOT: From Prompt by u/10805677/kristinevans1983

They had done it. They had finally beaten Thanos! They had saved the entire universe!

So why did something feel very, very wrong?

Loki surveyed the battlefield, seeing the different Avengers congratulating each other and sharing exclamations of victory. His eyes drifted toward Valkyrie, who was quickly approaching him with a worried expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" Loki questioned, sensing her anxiety.

"You need to come with me," she responded gravely, not answering his question. "It's an emergency."

Without any further explanation, she led Loki past the various superheroes and towards what looked like a makeshift hospital.

"I do not understand," Loki said, looking at people frantically running around in medical uniforms. "What's the emergency?"

Valkyrie didn't respond, instead leading him to a tent near the back of the compound. She pulled back a curtain of sorts, and he was met with several human doctors crowded around a makeshift gurney in the middle of the room.

Still very confused, Loki cautiously approached the person lying on the hospital bed. He couldn't see who it was, since the doctors were blocking his view, but a bunch of wires were sticking out of them, and they didn't look good.

"Are you Loki?" Asked the doctor nearest to me.

"Yeah..." Loki replied, a bit uncertain. "Is something... wrong?"

The doctor gave the Asgardian a sympathetic look, and moved away from the person on the gurney. "You're uh... friend over there brought him in a few minutes ago." He briefly glanced at Valkyrie, who looked away for some reason. "We've tried everything we can, but nothing's working. She said that you might be able to do something?"

Loki frowned, "What do you..." He trailed off, looking down at the person in question.

"You have healing magic, right?" Valkyrie asked, slowly approaching him. "Perhaps that might work?"

He shook my head, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. That was not his brother on that bed. There was no way... "What happened?" Loki said in a voice just above a whisper. "H-how did this happen?"

"We are not quite sure," the doctor responded a bit nervously. "Your friend said something about him being hit by a large blast of energy? We tried to revive him, but nothing's worked so far."

"He's not breathing?" Loki questioned, his voice dangerously calm.

The doctor gave him a worried look, "No... uh, Sir? He was pronounced legally dead a few minutes ago."

Dead. Thor, Loki's older brother, was dead. No, he could no, would not, believe this.

"Sir...?" The doctor said uncertainly, looking between the two Asgardians. "Your magic?"

Loki nodded, still a bit in shock. "Yes, of course. Uh... this has never really happened before..." He shared a look with Valkyrie, who averted her gaze.

The God of Mischief was still not fully comprehending the situation, and could not accept the idea of his brother being dead. It just wasn't something he'd ever considered.

He approached the prone form lying on the hospital bed, the doctors moving away as he did so. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as the God laid his hands on his brother's unmoving chest.

Time seemed to slow for the Asgardian, and he focused all of his energy on a long forgotten magic he hadn't practiced in centuries. Thankfully, due to the many times he had healed his older brother during childhood, the magic didn't seem to have any issues with compatibility.

Sometimes, when Loki tried to heal people, his magic would reject the person's immune system, a problem he'd never been able to fix. He'd always chalked it up to his magic being unstable, but perhaps it was just a bit picky on who it decided to work on.

The God had considered, very briefly, that his magic might have a mind of its own, but that surely couldn't be possible... could it?

In any case, his healing powers seemed to be working on his brother without any issues. The whole thing was very surreal for Loki, so he couldn't quite process what exactly was going on when a heart monitor suddenly flared to life. Valkyrie let out a breath of relief, and the doctors were murmuring something about how weird things had gotten on Earth.

It took Loki a moment for it to register with him that his brother was indeed breathing again. Oddly enough, he didn't share the exclamations of joy that the others seemed to hold. Instead, the young God just felt... numb.

He later on supposed this was because he'd never really considered the idea of losing his brother—which was quite strange, since the two had been in many near-death experiences in the past. Since Thor had always been around, Loki never really thought of what things would be like without him.

The thought of his older brother being permanently gone made Loki shudder involuntarily. It wasn't something he liked to think about.

A few hours after reviving Thor, Loki came back to check in on him. The doctors said he probably wouldn't wake up for a while, since he was still recovering, but the younger brother insisted on visiting anyways.

Valkyrie had left shortly after Thor was pronounced alive again, and she said she'd tell the other Avengers that Thor would be okay. Loki persuaded her into leaving out the part about Thor having to be brought back from the dead, and Valkyrie agreed that it would probably make things easier on everyone if they just thought he was badly injured.

Loki entered the makeshift hospital room sometime after dark. Only one doctor was in the room, and he not-so-inconspicuously left shortly after the Asgardian arrived.

"It's strange, isn't it?" Loki said, mostly to himself. "Death is such an... odd experience." He paced around the small room, glancing at his sleeping brother every few minutes. "I've dealt with it a few times myself," he said, almost humorously. "But you already know that," he added, a shadow crossing his face briefly.

"I suppose I'd never really considered what it must've been like for you. For you to think that I was dead for so long..." Loki trailed off, lost in distant memories. "Perhaps I underestimated how strong grief can be."

"I guess I should be thankful," Loki continued, still pacing. "You're alive! That's cause for celebration, right?" He smiled briefly, then frowned. "But then why do I feel so... alone?"

Loki shook his head, trying to shake the depressing thought away. "I've always felt that way though, haven't I? Even with you right by my side, I feel miles away." Tears welled up in his eyes, "Why is that, Brother? Why do I feel so fucking alone all the time?"

Obviously, Thor was in no shape to answer this question, but nonetheless Loki looked to his brother with wide eyes. "Tell me, Thor, just for this one time tell me where things went wrong. What split us apart all those years ago?" He sucked in a deep breath, trying to stop the onslaught of emotions he was beginning to feel. "You said things were gonna turn out all right, Brother. You said we would be fine..."

Loki stopped pacing. "Huh, it's really something, isn't it? To think that I sacrificed myself to prevent you from dying at the hands of Thanos, only to have you taken away by him anyways." He looked at his brother's battered form with tears in his eyes. "Perhaps fate never meant for us to stay together, after all."

Loki turned away, despite Thor not being awake. "We should've parted ways back on Sakaar... that would've made this so much easier." He sniffled, wiping away tears with the back of his hand. "I wish I could stay," Loki said in a brittle tone. "But I'm afraid it's me that's causing all these problems for you."

Since the Asgardian had turned away from his brother, he missed seeing the older God's eyes open blearily. Loki was halfway out of the tent before he heard a soft, "Wait." from behind him.

At first, he was certain he'd imagined it, but then Thor said, "Loki? What's going on? Why am I here?"

Not knowing how much his brother had heard in the past few minutes, Loki made an effort to look as put-together as possible. He was determined not to cry in front of his older sibling, if only to preserve what little of his dignity he might have left.

"You... you were pretty badly hurt," Loki eventually responded. "You've been recovering for about a day now."

"Oh... I guess that's why everything hurts, then," Thor joked, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere.

Loki mustered up the courage to face his brother, and regretted it the moment he did. Thor hadn't always been the most perceptive in the past, but he seemed to pick up in his younger sibling's mood fairly quickly. "Is... something wrong, Brother?" He asked in a concerned tone.

Loki almost wanted to laugh. If only his brother knew what thoughts had been going through his head just minutes ago...

"No... no. I just... some people were... I just wanted to make sure you were okay," the younger God responded hesitantly.

Thor furrowed his eyebrows, "Are you sure something isn't wrong, Brother? Why are you acting so... strange?"

"I am not acting strange," Loki answered a bit too quickly and defensively. "And nothing is wrong, either."

"C'mon, Loki, I know that face. You're not telling me something."

"It's not important," Loki tried to convince him. "Everything is fine."

"Loki," Thor persisted, his tone a bit more irritated.

"You... you..." Loki trailed off, unable to say the words aloud. "You died, Brother. You were dead when I got here," he eventually choked out. Loki averted his gaze, unable to meet his brother's surprised expression. "I had to use my magic to heal you," he continued. "I... I didn't think it would work, at first. I-I thought you were gone... forever," Loki whispered this last part, not wanting to admit it out loud.

"Loki," Thor said, sounding heartbroken. "Are you crying?"

The younger Asgardian wiped away stray tears, but to no avail. At this point, they were streaming down his face anyways. "I'm sorry," he choked out. "I'm so, so sorry I've gotten you into all of this."

"Brother..." Thor said softly, not quite knowing what to say. "Please don't blame yourself for this; none of this is your fault."

"It is, though!" Loki exclaimed with frustration. "I brought Thanos here in the first place. I'm the reason that all of this happened."

"That is not true and you know it," Thor replied, sitting up in the hospital bed. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

Loki shook his head, wiping away more tears. "I do, though. This all happened because of my actions, Thor. Don't you get that?! You almost die—did die—because of me!" He put his head in his hands, "This is all my fault..." he sobbed.

Thor maneuvered around the various wires that were injecting medicine into him enough to pull his brother in for a hug. "Stop saying that," he whispered softly. "This isn't your fault."

Loki wanted to argue, but he was far beyond speaking at that point, so he just sobbed into his older brother's chest. "It's okay," Thor said, trying to comfort his younger sibling. "You're okay."

"It's not me that I'm worried about," Loki mumbled in response, calming down somewhat.

"Well... we're okay, then," Thor amended. "We'll be okay. I promise."

"Will we, though?" Loki questioned, pulling away from his brother. "Because every time things seem to be doing all right, something terrible happens."

"We've come this far, haven't we? I'd dare to say that we can handle anything else that might be thrown at us."

Loki nodded, letting out a deep breath. "Yeah... I hope so."

—Time Skip 'Cause I'm Lazy—

A day later, Thor was able to leave the hospital. His injuries were mostly healed, and he had most of his strength back. Since the Avengers didn't know the full extent of the Asgardian's injuries, they didn't pay him much mind when he announced that he had been released from the hospital.

Valkyrie was the only person to give him a wary look, and even she didn't seem too concerned. Thor was a God, after all. He was virtually immortal. Well, at least that's what everyone seemed to think.

It was a rainy afternoon in New York when Thor told his brother that he was going to leave Earth for a while.

"What? Why?" Loki asked, pulling his attention away from a book he had been reading.

"I just... don't think I can handle these Midgardians, anymore," Thor joked.

Loki highly doubted this, but he was beginning to wonder if something had happened in Thor's time of being... dead. Ever since he left the hospital, he'd been acting a little strangely. "Oh? So where do you plan on going, then?"

"Just taking a little vacation, that's all," he responded unconvincingly.

"That didn't really answer my question, though," Loki said, giving his brother a look.

"I'll be back in few days," Thor continued, ignoring his younger sibling's statement. "I just need to... find something."

Loki was very curious now. "Find what? Why are you being so secretive about this?"

Thor looked like he was debating on whether or not to tell Loki something. Eventually he sighed and said, "Something happened when I... before you healed me. I don't really know how to explain it, but I like, went somewhere."

"Valhalla?" Loki guessed.

"No... At least I don't think so." Thor shook his head, "No one else was there... it was just me."

"So what exactly does this have to do with you wanting to go looking for... something?"

"Well... it made me think. I had always assumed that death would bring me to a familiar place, a place with family. But I realized that this may not be true, and I started to wonder why that might be."

"I'm not sure I understand," Loki said, raising an eyebrow. "What are you hoping to find?"

"Well, I need to know. I know the past is the past and I should just let it go, but after Ragnarok..." he trailed off. "I think that Hela may have had a point."

Loki's eyes widened at the mention of their long-lost sister. "You-you intend to visit Hela? Is that what you're going to do?"

Thor shrugged, "I feel like we may have judged her without knowing her true intentions."

"Her intentions were pretty damned clear, Brother. She was going to destroy Asgard!" Loki exclaimed, getting up from his seat. "She would have killed everyone if we hadn't intervened!"

"I understand that," Thor said, not quite meeting his brother's gaze. "But what if everything we thought we knew was a lie?" He turned away. "And besides, do you really think I'd want to spend eternity without you by my side?"

Loki flushed, still uncomfortable with his brother's tendency for sentiment. "How do you even plan to find her?" He questioned. "I'm pretty sure you can't just... waltz into the Afterlife without being, y'know, dead."

"Well..." Thor began. "I was actually hoping you could help me with that."

"Me?" Loki repeated. "How?"

"Haven't you visited the underworld before? I'm sure there's some way for us to get in—without being dead, that is."

Loki's gaze darkened, thoughts drifting back to the last time he'd visited Hel. "Are you certain it is necessary that we go there?" He asked, a bit worried. "I'm not very well liked there."

Thor gave his brother a look, and Loki shrugged. "What? It's not like Hela's going to be too excited to see you, either."

"So you'll go with me, then?" Thor said, ignoring his brother's previous statement.

Loki really didn't want to deal with the Goddess of Death again, but he didn't want his brother to go alone to the underworld, either. "I suppose I will... if I have to."

Thor grinned, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "That's the spirit! This'll be like old times—just you and me. It'll be an adventure!" He exclaimed, a bit too happily for his younger brother's liking.

Loki just rolled his eyes in response, though he was glad that Thor was back to his usual positive self again. "Let's just get this over with, before I change my mind."

As the two Asgardians prepared to leave Earth, Valkryie approached them. "I hear you two are going on some super-secret mission or something," she said, sounding mildly intrigued.

"Secret mission?" Loki echoed. "Is that what Stark's calling it?"

"He actually just said that you guys were leaving for a while. I just assumed it for a mission or something."

"It's more of a... quest to gain knowledge," Thor interjected. "But I guess it would've been cooler if it was a mission."

Valkryie nodded. "Right... so where are you guys going, then?"

Thor exchanged a look with his younger sibling. Loki just shrugged as if to say, "Just tell her."

"We're Uh... we're actually going to visit my sister," Thor answered hesitantly.

Valkryie raised an eyebrow, "The one that was trying to destroy Asgard?"

"Yeah... that would be the one."

"Why?" Valkryie asked, looking suspicious.

"Family issues," Loki responded, noticing Thor's sudden nervousness.

Valkryie seemed to think this over for a moment. "You guys do seem to have a complicated family," she eventually said. "I'm honestly surprised the two of you are still getting along."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Thor responded at that the same time that Loki said, "Just barely."

Valkryie rolled her eyes at the two Gods. "Okay, well. If you guys are leaving now, I won't hold you up." She began to walk out of the room. "Although It will get kind of boring around here... and I'll just be all alone... stuck with a bunch of annoying Midgardians while you guys get to have fun and deal with more family drama."

"I'd hardly call that fun," Loki muttered under his breath.

Thor gave him a look and said to Valkryie, "You... can come with us, if you want to. We could probably use some backup, just in case something goes wrong."

"Really?" Valkryie said, sounding too happy for Loki's liking.

"Sure!" Thor said, smiling. "We'd be happy for you to join us, right Brother?"

Loki didn't quite get along with Valkryie, but she seemed determined to go with them, and Thor seemed okay with it, so he just said, "Yeah, fine. It's okay, I guess."

Valkryie smirked, seeming satisfied. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go to Hel!"


	16. A Long-Overdue Meeting

ONE-SHOT

(So, let's just take a minute here to discuss some Real Talk before getting into this one-shot. This might be like, a really dumb question to have, but are Loki's eyes supposed to be green or blue? Because I always assumed they were green—'cause in most of the fan art I've seen, he's been depicted with green eyes—and in most official promotional posters and stuff he also appears to have green eyes. But some people are also saying that his eyes are blue? Is it just because of the different lighting/filters in certain photos? I'm honestly so confused, lol. And, as an extension question, does Tom Hiddleston have green or blue eyes? Because I'm almost positive they're green, but once again it could just be the lighting/filters in certain photos. I know this isn't really important or anything; it just never occurred to me that some people think his eyes are blue. I always assumed that both the actor and the character have green eyes. If I'm wrong, I'd really like to know. It's just something that will probably bug me until I know for sure what his eye color is, lol.

Anyways... I hope you guys enjoy this one-shot! It's going to be much more light-hearted than the last one!)

"Do you think you could give me a hand over here? Mine are kind of full right now."

"I really didn't plan on spending my weekend off helping a teenager move all of his shit into a new apartment," Loki groaned, already carrying several large boxes filled with various items.

"Okay, well, neither did I. I didn't know we'd be moving everything—Tony only said we had to move a couple pieces of furniture," Thor replied, trying to maneuver Peter's mattress through the small bedroom door.

"Since when have you ever believed a word out of that asshole's mouth? If I'd have known he was the one to arrange this, I wouldn't have agreed to help." Loki set the boxes outside of the apartment. "How much more of this stuff does he have?"

"Well, we've yet to go through his closet," Thor responded, setting the mattress on the now-bare living room floor. "Perhaps we should load up what we have and come back for the rest later today?" He suggested, looking a bit tired.

Loki shook his head, "Let's just get this over with. The quicker we can get done, the better. I have much better things I could be doing right now."

Thor raises an eyebrow, "Oh yeah?" He scoffed. "Like what?"

"This and that," his brother replied with a noncommittal shrug. "None of your business, really."

Thor gave his younger sibling a hard look. "Loki..." he warned.

The God of Mischief just rolled his eyes and continued moving boxes. "Even after all this time, you still don't trust me, Brother?"

"No, I really do not," Thor deadpanned.

The two continued to work on clearing out the small apartment in relative silence. Not a tense kind, but more of a peaceful quietness. Eventually, they had most of Parker's things stacked out in the hallway, ready to be loaded into a moving truck.

"So," Loki started. "Who exactly is this Peter Parker kid?"

"I myself do not know him very well," Thor admitted. "I have really only met him a couple times, and both encounters have been very brief."

"Is he going to be super annoying like most of the Midgardian teenagers we've met here thus far?"

"He's a little... out there," Thor said at length. "But Tony seems to think he's ready to be a full-time Avenger, so I guess he's okay."

Loki was not looking forward to meeting this Spider-Man, but he didn't see a way of avoiding it, so it was probably just better to get it over with.

The two brothers arrived at Stark Towers at some point in the late afternoon. Tony himself was not there, but Pepper greeted them at the door. "Thanks for all the help," she said to Thor. "It really means a lot. We were going to get an actual moving service, but we figured you guys would be more efficient."

Loki resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the human woman. He didn't like how, as of late, the two Gods were being used merely for their strength and not much else.

"Anything to help out a friend," Thor replied good-naturedly.

"No need to thank me," Loki muttered as Pepper led the two to what appeared to be Peter's new room.

"So this is Peter," Pepper announced as the two Gods entered the bedroom. "And Peter, this is Thor and his brother Loki."

The aforementioned teenager looked up from a video game he was playing, his eyes widening when he saw the new visitors. "Thor!" He exclaimed, getting up from his spot on the floor. "It's been a while, man. How are things?"

"Things are going well," the Asgardian replied with a hearty laugh. "What about you, young Peter?"

He shrugged, "Kinda boring, really. Between all this moving and school, I've been pretty busy."

Thor nodded, "How does it feel to be an official Avenger now?"

Peter brightened, showing off some of his cool spider-moves. "It's like, totally awesome! I still get to hang out with my friends from school, and fight bad guys!"

Pepper laughed, "Okay, well you guys seem to be having a good time in here, so I'll let you be. Let me know if you need anything."

Peter watched as Tony's still-fiancé walked out of his new bedroom and back into the living room area. His eyes drifted back to Thor, and subsequently Loki—who looked rather annoyed with the whole exchange for some reason.

"So... you're Thor's brother, then?" Peter questioned, suddenly a bit nervous. "The last time I heard about you, you were..." he trailed off, obviously not wanting to get on the Trickster's bad side.

"Trying to destroy New York?" Loki supplied, not looking the slightest bit offended. "Yeah, I probably don't get as much recognition in your school as, say... Tony Stark or Steve Rogers would," he added pointedly.

Peter swallowed, "S-sorry, uh... Mr. Loki, Sir. I just, Uh..."

"I think maybe we should go now," Thor interjected, sensing the teenager's embarrassment. He tugged on Loki's sleeve, glaring daggers at him on the way out of the room.

"Hopefully I'll see you again soon!" Thor said lightly to Peter. "I hope you enjoy your new home!" He joked.

"Yeah... thanks," Parker responded, a bit awkwardly. "I'll see you guys around, I guess."

After the two were out of ear-shot from the kid, Thor dropped his brother's arm and gave him a stern look. "Why do you have to be so... abrasive all the time? Peter's just a kid, Loki. Is it so hard to just be nice for once?"

"Yes," Loki replied flatly. "I did not want to come here, and yet you made me go anyways. It is not my fault if I cannot get along with insolent teenagers."

Thor crossed his arms, annoyed. "You need to try and make an effort to actually get along with people, Brother. How else do you expect the other Avengers to accept you?"

"We've been over this, Thor," Loki said with exasperation. "I am not an Avenger."

"Then why do you seem so keen to help out all of a sudden?" His brother challenged. "You are either with us or against us—there is no in-between."

Loki rolled his eyes, unfazed by his older sibling's words. "I think I've been walking the line of the 'in-between' for quite a while now, dear Brother. I'm not really what you'd call a... loyal person, if you haven't been able to tell already." He began to walk away, but Thor put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"You cannot keep this up forever, Loki. Eventually you have to decide which side you are on," he said, voice deadly serious.

Loki shook off his brother's hand, an annoyed expression on his face. "I am on your side," he answered evenly. "And I always will be." Then he turned around and crossed his arms indignantly. "But I cannot say the same for the others."

Thor's gaze softened, and he was briefly caught up in memories from his brother's most recent death—a death Loki had suffered entirely because of his loyalty to his brother. It made the Asgardian's heart heavy, and he once again wished the two hadn't spent so many years together bickering over things that hadn't even mattered in the end.

"At least try to be somewhat civil, please?" Thor eventually conceded. "You really do not need to make any more enemies."

At this, the God of Mischief actually chuckled a little. "I can try, but I can't guarantee anything."

Thor sighed, but didn't push the issue any further. He figured it was as good of an answer as he was going to get. Loki had proved to be a lot of things in all the time that Thor had known him—which was literally since birth—but most of all the adopted son of Odin seemed to very, very stubborn. It was a trait Thor often resented, but he also felt like it really made his brother who he was. Much like his title, Thor would've been a little disappointed if his little brother wasn't a stubborn royal pain in the ass sometimes.

He'd never admit that aloud, though. God, his brother did not need even more encouragement to be annoying.

"Why are you smiling?" Loki asked as the two made their way out of Stark Tower. "Did I miss a joke or something?"

Thor smirked, "No. I was just... thinking."

"About what?" His brother asked suspiciously.

"Nothing important," Thor replied with a shrug.

Loki gave him a look, but didn't argue the point. He'd never admit it aloud, but he often wondered what things would be like if he didn't have Thor as a brother. He wondered if he'd have turned out the same... if he'd have even gotten this far at all.

For all his faults, Loki did truly love his older brother. The two were opposites in virtually every way possible, but somehow they seemed to understand each other perfectly. It seemed as if you couldn't have one without the other, for better or worse. They simply impacted each other in a way that no one else could.

It would've broken Thor's heart if his brother had stayed dead at the hand's of Thanos. He couldn't imagine what life would be like without his annoying, mischievous, little brother. He didn't want to imagine it—it was too painful.

The two were finally getting along again, and things seemed to be looking up. The sun truly seemed to be shining on them once more.


	17. A New Perspective: Part Two

Continuation of one-shot XV (due to a request I got to explore this storyline further).

"So how exactly are we supposed to... y'know, actually get to Hel?" Valkryie asked. She was sitting in a spare seat of the spaceship the three were borrowing for their little excursion. "Last time I checked, you kinda had to be dead to get there."

"I've no idea," Thor responded from behind her. "Ask Loki, he's the one who practices witchcraft for a living."

"I am not a witch!" Loki exclaimed in irritated tone. "I just happen to know some... people that can get us into the underworld undetected."

Valkryie eyed the God suspiciously as he walked into the room with a hefty-looking book in his hands. "This," he began, setting the text down on a small table. "Is a special book that contains maps and coordinates that correlate with places throughout Hel."

"And this will help us how?" The Asgardian warrior questioned, looking mildly interested.

"Well, we don't know where Hela is, exactly. She's technically the ruler of the underworld, but I have a funny feeling that she might not be, uh... very respected anymore."

"Because she was defeated at Ragnarok?" Thor guessed, flipping through the book's pages absentmindedly.

"Something like that," Loki replied, although he didn't look like he quite believed that was the reason. "In any case, she will not likely be out-and-about in Hel. Since she's basically been banished for good there, now, she probably won't want any visitors."

Valkyrie nodded, "Right, that makes sense, I suppose. Where should we start looking for her, then?"

"First we need to get there," Loki reminded her. "Which will require a few preliminary stops along the way, I'm afraid."

Thor sighed, "Why?" He complained. "I thought you said you knew people who could get us there."

"I do," his brother responded. "But we need to find them, first."

"You don't know where they are?" Valkryie said, sounding annoyed. "This whole thing's going to be a giant waste of time if we don't find them."

"We will," Loki assured her. "I just don't think you're going to like where we have to go to find them."

She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Sakaar," Loki responded to her unspoken question. "The people we need to find are on Sakaar."

"Why am I not surprised?" Valkryie muttered. She glanced down at the text filled with maps, "When we do get there, though, where should we start looking? If Hela could literally be anywhere in the underworld, it could take us days to find her."

"My magic might be able to help us out a little," Loki said hesitantly. "But I won't know until we get there."

"A locator spell?" Thor suspected.

"Not quite," his brother answered rather vaguely. "Locator spells only really work in the living world, unfortunately. The magic we're going to need to find our sister is going to be a bit... darker in nature."

Thor didn't like the sound of that, but his brother was doing him a favor here, so he supposed it would have to do. Their options seemed to be rather limited, so he couldn't be too picky about their means to get to Hela.

"Dark magic?" Valkryie echoed. "Isn't that, like, a bad thing?"

"Only if you don't know how to use it properly," The God of Mischief retorted with a smirk.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" She asked, turning to Thor. "This doesn't seem like the most well thought out plan of action to take."

"It was your choice to join us," the God of Thunder reminded her. "You could always leave, If you'd prefer that better."

"I would not," Valkryie responded with a scowl. "I'm not afraid of a little black magic and the supposed Goddess of Death."

"And I never said you were," Thor said with a pointed look. "I was simply giving you options."

The Asgardian looked a little put out, but she only got up from her seat and moved to look out a window.

Loki exchanged a look with his brother, but Thor merely shrugged in response. He hadn't know Valkryie for very long, but she tended to be a bit on the stubborn side. He figured she'd come around eventually.

"We should arrive on Sakaar within about a day's time," Loki announced after a few minutes of awkward silence. "So If you two could try to get along until then, that would be great."

Thor glared daggers at his younger sibling, and Valkryie angrily stomped out of the room. Loki was rather pleased with himself, and his brief moment of arrogance prevented him from noticing the growing black shadow outside of their spaceship.


	18. Don't You Forget About Me (Prompt)

One-Shot: From Prompt by u/10538578/MidnightLokilover

"Is he going to be all right?"

"Well, yes, Your Majesty. But you have to understand that—"

"Can I go see him now?"

"He's still a bit out of sorts, but I suppose it would be okay—"

"Okay, yes. What's the room number?"

"Well, before you go in there I think you should know that—"

"Just tell me the room number."

"With all due respect, Sir, I think there is something you should know before seeing him—"

"Fine, then. I'll just find his room on my own."

"Thor—"

—

I rush into the hospital room, still a bit aggravated by the nurse's rudeness. Why must humans always be so frustrating?

Sometime after defeating Thanos, I got a call from New York's local hospital saying that they had been able to save my brother. I still wasn't quite sure how he got there in the first place, but I'm guessing Valkryie brought him in.

He was in pretty bad shape, but the doctors were surprisingly good for only being human. They were able to revive him, and said that, thankfully, his spine wasn't broken. I asked about his neck and they told me that it was broken, but it had somehow healed itself.

I'm assuming he used magic to do that. Which means that he must be in fairly decent shape now, if he can use his magic again.

I haven't been able to see him yet, since I just found out about him being here earlier today. I came as soon I could, but Valkyrie kept trying to stall me for some reason. She was actually acting really odd, like something terrible had happened.

I tried to tell her that everything was fine, and my brother would be all right, but she kept shaking her head and crying. I'm still not sure why.

As I enter the hospital room, I'm greeted with a single doctor, who only gives a sad smile before leaving the room. Why is everyone acting so strange?

Loki's lying on the hospital bed, seemingly asleep. A heart-monitor is beeping steadily beside his bed, a comforting reminder that he is indeed alive again. I gingerly approach him, not wanting to wake him.

I gently pat his shoulder, and his eyes blink open slowly. He looks a little disoriented at first, but then his eyes seem to adjust and widen when he notices me.

"Loki," I begin, letting out a deep breath. "I can't believe you're actually alive."

He gives me a mildly annoyed look, but then looks away, a shadow crossing his face.

"I'm only joking," I say. "I honestly couldn't be happier right now. To think that you were gone forever... I don't know what I would've done without you, Brother."

Loki still doesn't respond. Instead, he gives me a sympathetic smile and presses a little button on the side of the hospital bed. A few seconds later, a nurse rushes into the room, looking worried.

"Is something wrong?" She asks, looking between the two of us.

"Uh... I'm not sure," I respond, confused. "Why is he..." I turn to my brother, "Loki, what aren't you telling me? Is something... wrong?"

He exchanges a look with the nurse, and she in turn looks to me. "Is something wrong?" I repeat, voice wavering.

"Sir, I thought you were informed of this earlier, but perhaps you weren't," She says in a soft voice.

"Informed of what?" I question, immediately worried. "Is-is something wrong with my brother? Did something go wrong in surgery? Why isn't he saying anything—"

"I'm very sorry," the nurse says in a gentle tone. "But I'm afraid your brother won't be saying anything for quite a while."

"Why?" I ask, glancing at him. He looks away from me, unable to meet my gaze.

"He... he suffered severe trauma to his vocal chords," the nurse explains in a sympathetic tone. "He is lucky to be alive, you should be thankful. It's actually a miracle that his neck isn't broken..." She gives me a look, "Although I suppose that might have something to do with the... biology of your people." She looks back over at Loki, "In any case, I'm very sorry to say that he will most likely never be able to speak again."

I don't think I'm quite processing her words, because I just stand there stupidly, not moving.

"I'll give you two a minute," she says a bit nervously, before stepping out of the room.

I stand there, in shock. This... this couldn't... how could it...

"Is this true?" I ask, turning to face Loki again. "How did this... how did you...?"

He gives me a look I can't quite read, then motions for me to come closer. I approach him, and he reaches a hand out. I frown and try to take it, but he shakes his head.

"What are you...oh!" I remember that he can show people certain memories, and figure that he must want to show me one of his. Why, though, I'm not sure.

I take his hand and put it on my forehead. Very quickly, I'm transported into one of his memories...

—Loki's POV—

Death takes me swiftly. My neck snaps quickly, and I'm immediately taken to a different place.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Says a disembodied voice. "Well... perhaps not too long, actually. You guys didn't get very far, did you?"

I vaguely recognize this voice as belonging to Hela, and groan when I realize where I must be. "Really? I thought I got rid of you."

"Such a shame," Hela says, ignoring my remark. "You didn't even get into Valhalla. Quite the disappointment you must be to Mother and Father."

I resist the urge to say that they aren't my real parents. So much has changed since then...

"I shouldn't be here," I say. "I need to go back. I need to help Thor—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down there, Mischief Boy. This is the Afterlife, as in, after life is over. There is no going back," Hela's disembodied voice says with a cold laugh. "You're stuck here forever."

I begin to panic. No, this isn't good. I can't stay here, I have to get back to Thor. I have to help stop Thanos. I have to—

"Although..." Hela trails off. "What happened to you guys, anyways? Why exactly are you here?"

"Thanos showed up," I reply with a grimace. "He found our ship with all the Asgardian refugees and killed everyone." My voice cracks, "He killed all of our people."

"Thanos?" Hela says with mild interest. "Haven't heard that name in a while."

"He murdered everyone," I repeat. "Including me."

"But not Thor?" Hela inquires, sounding intrigued now.

"No..." I trail off. "He... he didn't kill Thor."

"Odd. Usually he doesn't leave anyone alive."

"He made him watch," I say, mostly to myself. "He made Thor watch me die in front of him."

"Ouch, that is quite cruel, isn't it?" Hela comments coldly.

"Oh, yes. I forgot you were the heartless Goddess of Death," I say sharply. "Why would you care?"

"I'm not heartless," Hela replies, sounding hurt. "I just see things for how they are, that's all."

"Oh yeah? How are they?" I ask, a bit annoyed with her disposition.

"Well. Thanos is obviously a huge prick, but there's nothing new there. He probably left your brother alive just so he has to live with the image of your death ingrained in his mind forever. And you've... Well, you've changed."

"How so?"

"I don't think the old you would've done... all this to save a single person," Hela points out. "But then again," she adds, "I don't know you all that well, so perhaps I am misreading things?"

I shift uncomfortably, "No... you're not. Things have defined changed in the past few years for me."

"And you say you want to go back so you can... what? Fight Thanos?" Hela cackles, "That's cute, really. The whole lot of you superheroes couldn't stop him, let alone a single person. You're safer here, really."

I frown, "You must want something, right? Being stuck down here with nothing to do, it must getting awfully boring. Perhaps I can bring something back with me? A souvenir, if you will."

Hela seems to consider this. "You're trying to bargain with me now? Maybe you haven't changed all that much."

"I'm not asking for something permanent," I say. "Just... just let me go back long enough to help stop Thanos and make sure my brother's all right. That's all I ask for."

"How am I to be certain that you'll return?" Hela questions. "Surely you don't expect me to just take your words for it."

"I... I'll give you something," I insist. "Anything."

"Your desperation is amusing," Hela says with a chuckle. "Normally I'd be opposed to this sort of bargaining, but if there's one thing I hate more than you and your brother, it's definitely Thanos."

"So you'll help me?" I ask hopefully.

"I'll give you seventy-two hours, and nothing more."

"Thank you," I say gratefully. "This... this is so much more than I deserve—"

"Save it," Hela interrupts, sounding a little bored. "Don't make me regret this."

"I won't," I promise her. "Now... What would you, uh, like from me?"

There's a minute of silence, and I feel slightly worried. Maybe she's changed her mind already. Maybe she's rethinking this. Maybe—

"Your voice," she eventually says, her voice low and dangerous.

"What about it?" I inquire, confused.

"I want your voice," she says simply.

"I...I'm not sure I understand," I repeat. I laugh nervously, "Why do want my voice?"

"Well..." Hela starts. "If there's one thing that seems to have gotten you in trouble the most, it's most certainly your mouth."

I glare despite not being able to see her. "Okay, there's no need to be rude—"

She cuts me off with a hard laugh, "Oh, I'm not trying to be, believe me. If anything, I'm doing you a favor, here. Perhaps you will be more efficient if you don't have the temptations of... running your mouth."

Offended, I scoff at her. "Y'know, you're not that great to be around, either. But you don't see me going around and insulting your name, do you? No. I didn't think so. Seriously, who would have thought that I'd get stuck in the Underworld with someone so—"

"Okay, I'm not sure if you're trying to prove my point here, but I can guarantee that if you keep this up, our deal is through."

I scowl, but don't argue. "Fine... I guess losing my voice is a small price to pay if it means saving everyone."

"Exactly."

"So..." I say, looking around at the empty carven-like place. "What happens if it takes more than seventy-two hours to stop Thanos?"

Hela doesn't answer for a couple minutes. "Well... considering how difficult he may be to defeat, I suppose I could extend your visit a little while longer," she eventually concedes. "But that does not mean you can just... stay on Earth for however long you want," she adds. "The longer you stay after Thanos has been defeated, the more ailments you'll find yourself having."

"Okay..." I reply, because what else am I going to say? "You have my word, then. I'll return after Thanos is dead and I know for sure if my friends are all right."

"You better," Hela warns. "You know what the consequences are if you don't."

—Thor's POV—

The memory ends, and I'm brought back to the present. "You... you did this for... me?" I ask, incredulous.

Loki just shrugs, as if we're discussing the weather or some other mundane thing.

"Why?" I say, my voice a whisper. "You... Why would you give up your voice for me?" I shake my head, "You have to go back. You can't stay here, can you? That's what Hela told you, right?" Tears fill my vision. "I've just gotten you back and I'm going to lose you again, aren't I?"

Loki looks away, but I can tell he's also holding back tears. He makes a weird hand motion and a small piece of paper appears in it. Still unable to meet my gaze, he hands it to me.

It's a handwritten note.

"I used most of my magic to help stop Thanos," the note starts. "And I thought I was going to die again anyways, since I was basically all of my energy was gone. But then... well the last remnants of my magic tried to repair my body, since that's what my magic has always done. It clearly didn't understand why my neck was still damaged, though.

So I guess what I'm trying to say here, is that I'm somewhat okay now, minus the whole voice thing, and I still have a little while left before Hela expects me to be back in the Underworld."

I look up from the note, feeling even worse than before. "How much time?" I say softly. "How long before you have to go back?"

Loki points down at the paper, and I see new words writing themselves. "Twenty-four hours," they read.

A day. A single day left with my brother, and he can't even speak.

"Thank you," I eventually choke out. "For coming back." I wipe away unwanted tears with the back of my hand. "I always knew you'd eventually become an Avenger... even if it was only for a short time." I smile wanly, "I'm sure Mother would be proud of you."

At this, Loki drops his impassive facade. His face almost seems to crumple in on itself, and he immediately devolves into soundless sobbing.

It's been years since I've seen him cry like this, and it breaks my heart. "It's okay," I try to comfort him. "You accomplished your goal. You saved everyone. You became what I always knew you would."

This seems to make him sob even harder than before, and I give him an awkward hug, the wires sticking out of his arms making it difficult for me to wrap my arms around him.

"We still have time left," I try to assure him. "I promise I won't leave you."

The sobs ebbs a bit, and I feel a little whoosh of air in the small room. The piece of paper, still in my hand, has new words on it.

"I know you won't," it reads. "But I'll be leaving you again... and this time I won't be able to come back."

"We'll make the best of the time we do have," I say, voice breaking a little. "This is more than I ever thought I'd get, anyways."

A single tear streams down my brother's face as more words appear on the paper.

"You don't understand," it says. "This is permanent. This is forever. We'll never see each other again—even in the Afterlife."

I try not to break down in front of my brother, because I know he needs more comfort now than I do. It starts to sink in, though, that I won't ever see him again. He'll be stuck all alone in Hel, while I'll be living out my eternity with all of our friends and family in Valhalla. It's hardly fair.

"You deserve to be there, too," I whisper, because I don't know what else to say. "If anyone deserves to be there, it's you."

"But I won't be," the paper exclaims in what looks like a bit sloppier handwriting. "Even after everything I've done, I'm still paying for my sins... and I will be for the rest of eternity."

I don't respond, because I don't know what to say. He's right, and there's nothing I can say or do to change it. It's not fair, though. Nothing about this is fair. And yet I can't do a single damned thing to change it. Even after we've beaten Thanos and saved the universe, we still can't get the small amount of happiness we deserve.

I let out a shaky breath, and see that the piece of paper has a new message on it. I glance at my brother, but he's not looking at me anymore.

"There's no point in you sitting here all day just to watch me die," it says. "We might as well just end this right now."

I drop the paper and straighten. "W-what are you saying?"

Loki gives me a pained look, and points to an IV attached to his arm. Medicine appears to be dripping through it at a steady pace.

There's a rustle on the floor, and the paper's words change once again. "It will be easier this way, Brother. Just up the dosage a little, it will be painless."

I stare at him, unable to process what he's suggesting. "No!" I exclaim angrily. "I am not... I won't... I can't..." I stammer, trying to find words where there are none. "You're my brother," I say in a broken voice. "I-I can't..." I shake my head. "This isn't fair."

Loki smiles grimly, and I know, deep down, that this is the only way. Waiting would just make this more painful, and I could do nothing to stop this from happening, even though I so desperately want to.

"I'm so sorry," I say, unable to hold back the tears any longer. "I'm so sorry that things didn't turn out all right."

My brother's face falls for a moment, but then he tries to cover it with a weak smile. He takes my hand in his and squeezes it. In a voice barely audible, he says, "I'm using every ounce of my magic left to do this right now, so I'll try to make it short." He briefly glanced up at me, a look in his eyes I can't quite decipher. "I've literally waited until the last moments of my life to tell you this," he continues, his voice almost gone. "But I thought I should finally say it..." he looks away, then back at me. "You've always been my brother, and I've just been too caught up in my own arrogance and pettiness to admit it in the past." He coughs a bit, and I can tell this is really straining him. "But what I'm trying to say here is that... I've always cared about you, Thor. No matter what I've said or done to you in the past, I've always cared." His eyes well up with tears again. "I...I've always loved you, Brother. Despite the amount of times I've tried to convince myself otherwise, I truly love you."

Speechless, I embrace him. He starts silently crying again, and I realize that our time is almost over. "I love you, too," I say in a whisper. "But I suppose you probably know that already."

I pull back, and Loki gives me a confident look that makes me feel slightly better about what I'm about to do next.

"Maybe this won't be the end," I say, even though I don't really believe myself. "Maybe we will see each other again someday."

My brother nods in agreement. With what seems to be the last of his strength, he manages to conjure something. It looks like a small pin, and I'm a bit confused at first as to why he's handing it to me. But then I realize—

"Keep it with you," he says hoarsely. "To remember me by."

To anyone else, it would look like nothing more than a child's trinket—and I suppose that it is. I distinctly remember it from our childhood, actually. I found it one day when we were visiting the annual summer market with our mother. A vendor was selling cheap jewelry, and I snagged it when she wasn't watching.

Later than evening, I gave it to Loki. He just stared at it at first, a bit confused. "Why are you giving me this?" He'd asked me. "Why would I want cheap costume jewelry?" He asked, actually a bit disgusted.

I shrugged, looking at the small pendant. "It reminded me of you," I'd replied. "You seem to have a fondness for snakes, do you not?"

The small pin had a snake engraved on it. The animal was all coiled up, and looked like it might've been hissing. At the time, I thought it would be kind of funny to give it to Loki, after the incident that happened only a few years prior.

He'd thrown it down on the floor and stomped away, complaining that no one took him seriously. When I checked the ground the next morning, though, the pendant was gone. I'd always assumed it got swept underneath something or thrown away. I never could've imagined that Loki'd kept it all these centuries later.

"You kept it," I squeak out, my voice thick with emotion. "Even after all these years..."

Loki gives me a smirk, and folds my hand over the small piece of jewelry. "You always did call me a snake," he says, before coughing heavily.

I roll my eyes at him, tucking the pendant away in my pocket. "You never fail to surprise me, Brother. I'll give that to you, at least."

He simply shrugs in response, like I should've expected this. I give him another quick hug, "I guess this is goodbye," I say, looking at the IV. "Thank you," I whisper, before raising the dosage of the medicine drip.

"It was nothing..." my brother replies in a nearly inaudible tone. "You know I would've done it anyways, regardless of my... mortality."

I shake my head sadly, "Not for saving the universe, I know you would've done it anyways." I glance at the IV, now being filled with a large amount of medicine.

"Then... why?" Loki breathes, his eyes dropping a little.

"Thank you," I take in a deep breath. "For being my brother."

The medicine must to working quickly, because I can tell Loki's nearing the point of unconsciousness. It won't be very long, now.

"I don't think anything will ever quite be the same without you," I say, tears falling down my face again. "But thank you for everything... honestly."

"Stop... thanking me," Loki whispers, his mouth twitching up in a smile. "You're just making this harder for both of us."

"You've been through so much," I continue, unable to stop myself. "You deserve so much better, Loki. You've fought against so many terrible things, and I know you haven't even told me about most of them."

"Thor..." Loki starts, but I know I don't have much time left.

"But you've always been able to come away from them," I continue. "No matter how horrible the circumstances may have been, you were always somehow able to get out of them."

"Except... for this... time..."

"You're strong," I assure him. "I've no doubt that you'll figure out some way to get around Hela's wrath."

"You... put too much faith in me..., Brother." Loki closes his eyes, his hand falling away from mine. "I'm not that... strong."

"You are, though," I say confidently. "You can fight through this. You can find a way..." I trail off, seeing the heart monitor start to beep at an alarmingly quick rate.

This is it. Truly.

"I won't forget about you," I promise. "I'll never forget about you."

Loki smiles one last smile, and then his head falls to the side. The heart monitor beeps rapidly for a few seconds before coming to a startling halt. Before I can really process what's happening, It flatlines.

He's dead. Loki is actually, officially, one-hundred percent dead. And I can't stop my sobbing, despite everything he's just said to me. How can I not mourn for him? How can I go on without him? How will things ever be the same again?

He said the sun would shine on us again, but what if he's wrong? What if we really will be separated forever?

Forever is too long to be without your best friend. It's too long to spend without your other half.


	19. Old Tricks: Part One

ONE-SHOT (original)

(Part 1/2)

(Because the last couple one-shots have been kinda depressing, I thought I'd make a cute one. It probably won't be very long, but I hope you guys like it anyways!)

"Uh... why do you have... that thing wrapped around you?" Valkryie asks, pointing at my arm.

"What thing? Oh, this," I hold my arm up. "Yeah... I keep trying to get it off, but it won't let go," I say with a shrug.

"Shouldn't you be... like... concerned or something?" Valkryie stares at the dark green and black reptile wrapped around my upper arm. "It might be poisonous or something."

"Nah, it's fine," I assure her. "It's been on here for a few good hours now." I chuckle, "I'm honestly surprised I can still feel my arm."

Her eyes widen with alarm. "You need to get that thing off, Thor!" She exclaims with worry. "It might decide to bite you or something!"

I glance at the snake, unfazed. "Eh, I'm sure it'll eventually let go."

"Yeah—after it bites and poisons you!" Valkryie tries to pry the snake off of my arm, but it hisses at her and slithers farther up.

"Why aren't you trying to get it off?!" Valkryie says, giving me a bewildered look. "It doesn't exactly seem friendly."

I bite my lip, not quite wanting to tell her the truth. It would be kind of awkward and embarrassing. She doesn't really need to know...

"It's just... kind of clingy," I reply, watching as the snake wraps itself around my torso. I honestly don't think I could get it off, even if I wanted to.

I try to pull at it, but it hisses at me and shows off its fangs. "Okay, Okay. I won't move you," I say, feeling it squeeze into me a little more tightly.

"I think it's trying to kill you," Valkryie says in a voice that's mildly amused. "Or maybe hug you? I honestly can't tell."

Yeah, neither can I. I never thought things would quite come to this, but I guess it's better than the alternative... Well, for now, anyways.

"I think I should probably tell you something," I say to Valkryie. "This snake... it's not actually a snake."

She looks at me like I've lost my mind. "What do you mean? What is it?"

I take in a deep breath, and the snake almost appears to look up at me. "It's... it's actually my brother," I admit reluctantly.

"Your... brother?" Valkryie repeats, flabbergasted. "How...?"

"I'm honestly not sure," I respond. "I thought he was dead... but then he just... showed up like this." I gesture at the snake, which seems to actually nuzzle inside my side. "Yeah... I know it sounds super weird, but I'm like, ninety-nine percent sure this is Loki."

"But you don't know for sure?" Valkryie asks. "It couldn't just be a random snake that just so happens to be really fond of you and also wear the same color scheme as your brother?"

I shrug, "Well, I guess it could." I look down at the reptile. It slithers up my chest and wraps back around my arm again. I lift it up to my face, and it gives me a look that seems a bit more intelligent than the average snake should have.

"I guess there's one way to find out," Valkryie says, stepping close to the animal. "To see if it really is Loki."

I raise an eyebrow, "Uh... Okay? What do you have in mind?"

She puts out a hand, a foot or so away from the snake. "If you're Loki," she says to it. "Prove it."

"If he is indeed this snake, how do you expect him to—" my statement is abruptly cut off by the reptile lunging at Valkryie. It actually bites her, and leaves her hand with two small puncture wounds.

"Great, now you've just been bitten by a probably poisonous snake," I say, trying to shake the animal off, but to no avail. "What was that supposed to gain us?"

"Look," Valkryie says in a smug tone. She hold out her hand for me to see. The puncture wounds are already healing, and in their place is what appears to be two small green gemstones.

"Uh..." I trail off, looking at the snake again. "Normal snakes don't do that, do they?"

"I don't think so," Valkryie replies, actually smirking.

I peer down at the animal, "Is it you, Loki? How did this happen?"

The snake, in response, slithers up my arm once again and wraps itself loosely around my shoulders. It doesn't look aggressive... and it might be... falling asleep?

"Maybe you can get it off now," Valkryie says, eyeing it with suspicion. "Since it's asleep."

"But what if it's my brother?" I reply. "We can't just leave him here."

"Okay..." Valkyrie ponders this over for a moment. "Maybe we can take him somewhere, then? Do you know of anyone that might be able to... fix him?"

I look down at the reptile, now sleeping and resting it's head on my shoulder. "Uh, not really. We'd to need to find someone who knows how to use magic, and I don't really know anybody who could—Wait! I know who might be able to help us!"

Valkyrie raises an eyebrow at me expectantly. "Okay, would you enlighten me, please?"

I nod excitedly, "Yes, of course! Doctor Stephen Strange might be able to help us! He's also a sorcerer of sorts, and although his powers are quite different from Loki's, he might be able to do something."

"Uh... all right. Where can we find this... Doctor Strange, then?"

I frown, "Well... that might be a bit more difficult, unfortunately. The last time I saw him, he was in New York... but a lot has changed since then, so I'm not sure where he is now."

"Perhaps your friend Bruce might be able to inform us of his whereabouts?" Valkryie suggests.

"I suppose that could work," I reply. "It's a place to start, anyways."

Valkryie nods. "How do you think this happened, anyways?" She points at the sleeping snake. "Shouldn't he be able to, like, change back into himself without any assistance?"

I shrug, "Usually, yes. This is probably the first time he hasn't been able to change back, actually."

"Odd."

"Yeah..." I gently lift the slumbering reptile off of my shoulders. It doesn't wake up, thankfully, so I take this as an opportunity to set it down on the ground and stretch out a bit. "That thing was like, cutting off all the circulation to my arms," I say, chuckling a bit. "Maybe it really is Loki, because it seemed quite keen on trying to squeeze me to death."

Valkryie rolls her eyes at me. "Seriously, though. You said he was dead, Thor. How can someone just be dead for like, a whole year, and come back all of a sudden as a snake? It doesn't really make any sense, does it?"

"No," I admit. "I guess it doesn't."

"What?" Valkryie questions, noticing my darkening expression.

"Well..." I trail off. "Maybe it isn't my brother."

She gives me a sympathetic look, "Look, that's not what I meant—"

"No, no. You might be right. Maybe I'm just seeing evidence where there isn't any." I look away, embarrassed. "Maybe I've just wanted to find something, anything to prove that he's still somehow here that I've rationalized the absurd idea of him being in the form of a reptile."

"Thor—" Valkryie starts, but stops when we both hear a rustling sound in the grass.

We both look down. The snake is no longer sleeping. In fact, it seems to be slithering away into the high underbrush.

"Uh... should we go after it?" Valkryie asks, looking uncertain.

I begin to shake my head doubtfully, but then I realize something. The animal almost seems to be waiting for us. Like it wants us to follow it.

"Should we go?" Valkryie repeats, eyeing the reptile warily.

"I guess it couldn't hurt," I respond half-heartedly.

We begin to follow the snake as it winds its way through tall grass and rotted logs. "Where is it going?" I wonder aloud.

"I'm... not sure," Valkryie responds, looking a bit confused. "There's nothing out here—its all just open field."

We continue to follow the reptile, struggling to catch up to it's quick pace. Eventually, though, we lose sight of it. "Where'd it go?" I ask, looking around at what appears to be a murky-looking pond.

"In the water, maybe?" Valkryie says, edging closer to the pond. "Why did it want us to follow it, though?"

I'm about to ask the very same thing, when all of a sudden something pulls Valkryie into the pond. She screeches and falls in with a loud splash.

"What the f—" her words are cut off abruptly, along with the rest of her. She disappears under the surface of the murky water, and I'm left with no choice but to go in after her.


	20. Nightmares

ONE-SHOT (kinda short and kinda cute, maybe a little bittersweet... hope you guys like it!)

Loki fell asleep in the palace's library, his face stuck to the page of a book. He had been studying for an upcoming exam, and decided to pull an all-nighter in hopes of receiving a perfect score on the test.

At some point during the night, however, the young God had fallen asleep. He hadn't been sleeping very well for the previous few weeks, so he was very deeply asleep.

His older brother wandered into the large room in the early hours of the morning, as per request of their mother. She often worried about Loki, and usually shared that concern with Thor. If anyone can get through to him, it should be his own brother, she thought.

This often proved to be wrong, however, and the two young Asgardians argued much more than their mother would have liked. She supposed it was just a sibling thing, but it proved to become a much bigger issue as time went on.

Thor entered the library to see all the lights turned off, and the form of his sleeping brother in the far corner of the room. He had his head down on the table, a book still laying open beneath him.

"Hey," Thor said, walking up to his brother. "You need to go to bed."

His brother didn't move. Thor sighed and tried shaking his shoulder. "C'mon, Brother. You're not going to be happy if you're late to our studies, again."

Loki still didn't wake up, leaving Thor no choice but to carry his younger sibling to bed. Since Thor was Loki's senior by a handful of years, the latter was relatively small and easy to carry out of the library and down the hallway to their quarters.

Thor considered his brother's slumbering form on the way to their joint bedroom. Loki was never heavy, per se, but he seemed to on the thinner side, as of late. He often spent so much time studying and practicing magic that he missed meals and sleep. When Loki did get a full night's sleep, it was oftentimes riddled with nightmares. The younger God usually refrained from telling his older sibling the content of these dreams, but Thor had a pretty good idea of what they entailed.

Once Thor had carried Loki to his bed, he tucked him in and shut his mouth—because he tended to snore quite loudly when he was sound asleep.

The older God was back in his own bed on the other side of the room and halfway asleep again when he heard Loki say something.

"It's true, isn't it?" The younger Asgardian mumbled in his sleep. "I'll never be the son you wanted..."

Thor assumed it was another nightmare, and knew from past experiences that it wouldn't be wise to get involved. The nightmares usually passed quickly, and his brother seemed to forget all about them by morning.

But tonight—tonight was different. The nightmare seemed to be worse than normal. Loki was now tossing and turning in his sleep, thrashing around under the covers. It looked like he was trying to fight something off.

"I'll never be enough... I'll never be enough... I'll never be enough..." He kept repeated this phrase over and over, still thrashing around.

Thor was becoming a little worried. This wasn't normal. Something was somehow very, very wrong. He sat up in bed, debating whether or not to wake his brother up.

Loki continued to mumble in his sleep, restless. Thor was halfway out of bed when all of a sudden his brother let out an ear-splitting scream. It was so loud that he was certain it would wake their parents up.

"Loki," Thor said, rushing over to his brother. "Loki, wake up." He tried to shake his brother awake. "It's just a bad dream, Brother. Wake up."

The young God still stirred in his sleep, but seemed to relax a bit. Thor shook his brother's shoulder again, "It's okay, Loki. You're okay."

"Wh...?" Loki opened his eyes slowly, looking a bit dazed and confused. "W-what happened?"

"You were having another nightmare," Thor replied, letting go of his brother's arm. "You started screaming in your sleep."

The younger God blanched, looking embarrassed. "Oh..." he averted Thor's gaze, instead looking outside the window at the full moon. "Sorry I woke you up."

Thor gave his brother a sympathetic smile, "It's all right."

Loki shook his head, sitting up on his elbows. "This has been happening more often, hasn't it?" He asked, ashamed.

Thor hesitated, not quite knowing how to respond.

"How frequently has this been happening?" Loki repeated, looking almost angry.

"A few weeks..." Thor replied, a bit reluctantly. "But tonight was by far the worst."

"I have to get out of here," Loki said abruptly, getting out of bed.

"What do you mean? It's the middle of the night, Brother!" Thor exclaimed in a whisper-shout. "Where are you going?"

Loki ignored his sibling, instead stomping out of their bedroom and down the corridor, toward the inner courtyard. Thor followed after him, having to almost run to catch up with him.

"What are you doing? What's gotten into y—" Thor cut himself off mid-sentence, seeing his brother sitting down on a bench, crying.

"Go away," Loki muttered, face in his hands. "Just leave me alone."

Thor ignored his brother and instead sat down beside him. "What's wrong?" He asked softly. "Was it... the nightmare?"

Loki didn't answer, at first. He continued to sob into his hands, shoulder shaking. "It's not fair," he eventually choked out. "I study nonstop and work my ass off to good marks, but you still get all the recognition. It doesn't even matter anymore, does it? I'll never be good enough for Father."

"That's what this is about?" Thor asked, actually a bit surprised. "You... don't think you're good enough?"

Loki glanced over at his brother, his eyes red and puffy from crying. "Of course I don't. Why would I, with you around?"

Thor frowned, "You shouldn't feel that way, Loki. If anything, you're way smarter than me when it comes to academics. I'm sure both of our parents are very proud of your accomplishments."

The younger God just rolled his eyes in response, unconvinced. "You wouldn't understand." He stood up. "You don't know what it feels like."

Thor was a bit frustrated with his brother at this statement. "Well maybe that's because you never tell me!" He shouted, standing up. "It's not like I'm a freaking mind reader! How am I supposed to know when something's wrong if you don't tell me?!"

"Are you really that dense?" Loki responded with a hollow laugh. "I would've thought you to be a bit more perceptive, considering we've known each other our whole lives."

Thor shook his head, scowling. "I'm beginning to think that I don't know you much at all, Brother." He began to walk out of the courtyard. "You're becoming more and more of a stranger to me."

Loki crosses his arms indignantly and stood in the courtyard, pouting. He watched as Thor stormed back inside, and considered just staying outside for the rest of the night. It wouldn't have been the first time for him to do something like that just to be petty. Eventually, though, the young God of Mischief decided he should probably say something to his brother, even if he didn't want to.

"I dreamt about falling," Loki said as he entered the bedroom again. "That's how the nightmare started."

Thor was sitting on the end of his bed, staring at the ground. He didn't respond, and looked away when Loki sat down next to him.

"I kept falling," Loki continued, glancing over at his brother. "And I kept hearing these... voices. They were saying all these terrible things, and I couldn't get away from them." Loki averted his gaze to the floor, "The nightmare was... terrifying. It was like it was on a never-ending loop. I just kept falling over and over, and hearing these same horrible things." He looked up at his brother, who was now staring at his folded hands. "I think I... I know why I started screaming." Loki paused and cleared his throat, trying to hold back another round of tears. "I think I started to scream in my sleep because the last time that I fell—before you woke me up—I saw who pushed me."

At this, Thor gave his brother a look as if to say, "Go on..."

Loki took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. "It was you, Brother. You were the one who pushed me." He shook his head, embarrassed again. "I don't know why that, of all things, was what really got to me—but it did." He risked a glance at Thor, who remained silent, but seemed to be listening intently.

"I guess it just scared me," Loki admitted. "To think that the one person I know I can confide in, might betray me in the end."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, neither knowing how to go on from there.

"I won't betray you," Thor eventually whispered. "I... I'm sorry that you've had to deal with these nightmares... if you would've told me sooner..." he trailed off, seeing his younger brother's eyes fill with tears. "Loki..." he said softly, wrapping his brother in a hug. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," his brother responded, sniffling into his sibling's chest. "I don't know how to stop them," He hiccuped. "I don't know how to make them go away."

Thor felt heartbroken, not knowing how to help his brother. "It's okay," he repeated, because he didn't know what else to say. "I'm here; you're not alone. You're okay."

Loki continued to silently cry as his brother held him. It had been so long since he'd admitted his nightmares to anyone. It kind of felt nice to get everything out of his system for a change.

"Thanks," he eventually said, pulling away from Thor. "For listening to me ramble and cry like a baby."

The older God smiled kindly and patted his brother on the shoulder. "I thought you weren't a crier," he joked lightly.

Loki rolled his eyes and wiped away some stray tears. "Shut up." He stood up and looked outside, "Guess It's almost dawn now, might as well stay up."

Thor frowned and shook his head, "How about I tell Mother that you've come down with a cold and need to rest."

Loki began to object, but Thor cut his protests off with a pointed look. "You do need to rest, Brother. School can wait."

The younger God wanted to disagree, but he figured he'd probably be too tired to do anything productive anyways. "Fine..." he reluctantly conceded. "But if I get a lower score on my test because of you I am not going to be happy."

Thor grinned, ruffling his brother's midnight-colored hair. "I didn't even study, so I'm sure you'll do much better than me!"

Loki just sighed and walked back over to his bed. "Hey..." he said, crawling back under the covers. "How did I even get here earlier? Didn't I fall asleep in the library?"

Thor smirked, "Yes, you did. I had to carry you back here."

Loki was a bit surprised to hear this, but he was already falling back asleep. "Oh? Why?"

"Mother was worried you were going to stay up all night studying," his brother replied, walking towards the bedroom doorway.

"Mmm... she worries too much," Loki mumbled, nearly asleep.

"Yeah, I can't imagine why," Thor replied snarkily. He stepped through the doorway and began to close the door behind him. "Goodnight, Loki," he called out, before shutting the door.

"It's morning," Loki replied half-heartedly, before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	21. Until We Meet Again

ONE-SHOT (Original)

Loki was bleeding, a lot. He was in too much shock to really understand how truly injured he was, but the fear and horror written on his brother's face told him how bad it must have been.

"Oh my God," Thor exclaimed hysterically. "What did you do, Loki? How did this happen?"

He pressed his hands against the wound, which seemed to have been caused by a dagger-like object, and tried to keep pressure on it to alleviate the bleeding.

"Thor..." Loki mumbled, losing consciousness. "Please... just leave me here..." he began to cough violently, then, and blood started to fill his mouth.

"No," his brother responded, despite knowing there wasn't much he could do to stop the bleeding. "I-I can't just leave you here to die."

"Thor..." the younger God croaked out. "Thanos will... be here... soon..."

The God of Thunder shook his head, "What does it matter? He's already taken everything from me, what more could he do?"

Loki could see the pain in his older brother's eyes, and it just about broke him. "Don't... say that. You have friends... on Earth... I'm sure they're... worried about you... right now..." Loki trailed off, devolving into a coughing fit. His vision danced for a few seconds, but he managed to keep the darkness at bay for the time being.

"What's the point?" Thor said, voice thick with emotion. "What's the point if you don't go back with me?"

"Please..." Loki begged. "Just go." He began to feel a cold type of numbness settle over him. There was wasn't much time left.

"I can't," his brother sobbed. "I can't just leave you here!"

Thanos would surely find them soon. If that happened, they'd both be dead. "Just... take this and go," Loki mumbled, summoning enough of his magic to conjure up the Tesseract. "As long as Thanos doesn't have this... he won't be able to... accomplish his goal."

Thor gave Loki a somewhat disappointed look. "I thought you said you didn't have it."

Loki mustered up a weak laugh. "Did you honestly think I'd just leave it to burn with the rest of Asgard? I thought you becoming more perceptive."

Thor, a bit hesitantly, took the Tesseract. "I'll give it to Valkryie," he said, reluctantly standing up. "But then I'll be back for you."

The Asgardian warrior was holding of Thanos's crew, but both Gods knew that the distraction wouldn't last for very long. Thor knew his time with his brother was running out quickly.

"Don't bother..." Loki said. His breathing became a bit shallower, "...I'm as good as dead, anyways."

Thor saw he blood seeping through his brother's jacket, and how Loki's Asgardian form was starting to crack at edges just slightly. This really would be the end.

"No one should have to die alone," Thor said resolutely. "Even if I can't save you, I won't let you suffer alone."

"I appreciate your... sentimentality, Brother, but you really... must... leave now..." Loki broke off into another coughing fit, blood coming out of his mouth.

Thor shook his head, "No." He bent down again and took his brother's hands in his. "I'm not leaving you."

"Thor..." Loki gasped out. "Please don't take this... the wrong way... but get the hell out of here..." His vision began to blur at the edges. "You have to... get out of here..."

"But—"

"No," his brother cut him off in the sternest tone he could manage. "You are not going to stay here and get killed because of me." He coughed up some more blood. "Consider this... my last request."

The God of Thunder paused for a moment. "But Loki..." he felt tears streaming down his face.

"I know," his brother said sympathetically. "I really wish... that things hadn't... come to this."

Thor let go of his brother's hands and gave him an awkward hug that left blood stains on his armor—not that he cared. "For the hug we never got," he explained.

The God of Mischief felt tears sting his own eyes, and let them fall down his cold cheeks. "I love you..." he whispered hoarsely.

Despite the hopelessness of the situation, Thor couldn't help the chuckle that erupted from within him. "I know you do," he replied simply.

Loki managed a small smile, "Go," he urged. "Please. Valkyrie won't last very long... up against the Other."

Thor nodded somberly and straightened up again. "I'll make sure this is kept far, far away from the Mad Titan," he said, gesturing to the Tesseract.

"Thank you," his brother whispered, nearly inaudible. "For actually... listening to me... this one time." The God's eyes shone with tears, and he could no longer pretend that he wasn't scared of dying. He'd hold up for Thor's sake, but on the inside he was fucking terrified of what death would mean for him.

The God of Thunder gave his younger brother a tight smile. "I know we'll see each other again," he said with conviction. "I've no doubt about that."

Loki was not as certain as his brother, but he couldn't bear the thought of spending eternity without Thor. "I certainly... hope so," he replied with a kind of lightness that he didn't possess.

Thor gave Loki one last sad smile before turning to find Valkyrie. "The sun will shine upon us again," he said with a confident tone. "I can absolutely assure you of that, Brother."

The dying Asgardian knew that Thor was talking about Valhalla, and he could only hope that his brother was right. He supposed he'd find out soon enough, anyways...

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry I haven't uploaded anything in a few days, still struggling with a bit of writer's block. :/ My next upload should be a continuation of the Loki turning into a snake story, and the one after that is probably going to be a prompt—because I've gotten quite a few of them and I've only managed to actually do two of them so far, oops—so yeah.

Hope you guys enjoyed this one! It's a sad one again, but the next one should cheer you up a bit! :)

In somewhat unrelated news, have any of you guys heard the rumor that there's some big announcement about A4 happening within the next week or so? I'm not sure if it's true, but I'm still intrigued. I'm guessing, if it is true, that it's going to be a title reveal or a trailer for Captain Marvel. If it's not one of those two things, then I have no idea what it could be. What do you guys think?

Anyways, I should have another one-shot posted tomorrow, or Monday at the latest!)


	22. Just Like Magic

ONE-SHOT: Just Like Magic

"This is stupid," Thor complains, crossing his arms. "I don't see how this will help us in combat."

"Not everything is about war, Brother," Loki chastises. "Sometimes it's good to learn more... practical things."

Thor sighs loudly and gestures to the spell-book laid out on the table between them. "How is magic practical?"

"Well..." Loki opens the book and flicks past several pages before stopping at one with a sketch of a flower on it. "This may come in handy, if you want to impress a girl."

"Loki..." Thor starts, frowning.

"No, it's really quite simple." Loki assures him. "Just read out the spell and concentrate on creating a flower like the one in the diagram."

"I can't even read this!" Thor exclaims, pointing at the foreign words written on the old parchment. "How am I supposed to do a spell that I can't even pronounce?"

"Oh, right..." his brother responds a bit sheepishly. "I sometimes forget that you don't know my native language."

Loki's past was something that the two brothers didn't often discuss. It was a bit of a sore subject for both of them, and usually ended in an argument. Thor had always considered Loki his brother, despite knowing he was adopted shortly after birth, but it was hard to ignore how different the two were.

"It's... fine," Thor responds, not wanting to start another argument regarding his brother's heritage. "Could you perhaps... provide me with a different translation that I can actually read?"

Loki nods, waving his hand over the old text. The words change immediately into the Asgardian royal tongue, Thor's native language. Loki had always been skilled at learning new languages, so he could read the text just as well as his brother. It was something Thor envied about him, if only just slightly.

"Now," his younger brother says to him. "Just try and concentrate on the flower. You don't need to overthink anything—just imagine the rose in your mind as you read the words."

The God of Thunder does not consider himself a very focused or patient person, so he finds it a bit hard to concentrate on something to trivial and tedious. He recites the words written on the page accurately enough, but nothing happens.

"Why didn't it work?" He asks, furrowing his eyebrows. "Did I say the spell wrong?"

Loki gives his older brother a somewhat strained smile. "No... you just need to concentrate more."

"Ugh... Okay." Thor repeats the spell, this time closing his eyes afterwards and trying to imagine the rose in his mind. "Did it work?" He asks, hopeful.

"Uh... no. I'm afraid not," his brother replies in a disappointed tone.

Thor opens his eyes and frowns at the ancient text. "Why isn't it working? How hard do I have to concentrate?"

The God of Mischief bites his lip and looks away. He doesn't want to tell his brother the reason for the magic not working.

"Loki?" Thor prompts, giving his brother a look.

"It's just..." Loki waves his hand and a blood-red rose appears in it. "Magic kind of works like your hammer."

"Oh?" Thor raises an eyebrow. "How?"

"You see..." Loki places the flower in his brother's hand. It almost immediately wilts and turns into dust. "You have to be worthy, in a way, to do it."

Thor crosses his arms indignantly and glares at Loki. "Are you saying that I'm not worthy?"

His brother shrugs, "Not yet, you aren't. Magic isn't something that you can learn overnight, Thor. It takes years of study and practice to even do simple spells. I just thought you might've..." He shakes his head, cutting himself off mid sentence.

"Might've what?" Thor steps around the table, causing Loki to shuffle back a few steps.

"I don't know. I just thought you might've practiced on your own time or something," Loki replies sharply. "Forgive me for giving you more credit than you apparently deserve."

"Well it's easy for you to say something like that," Thor responds, equally annoyed. "Since magic comes oh-so naturally to you."

"I spent countless hours practicing spells and learning about different types of magic," Loki says. "I didn't just figure everything out in one day!"

"It's not like you ever invited me to these magic-learning lessons," Thor responds in an almost hurt tone. "How was I supposed to learn any of this stuff if no one was willing to teach me?!"

"You were never interested," Loki replies with a scowl. "You thought magic was dumb and useless." He steps forward and gives his brother a hard look. "All you wanted to do was punch things and act like an imbecile."

"Well, it's not like you ever tried to teach me," Thor retorts. "You were too busy trying to impress Mother with your... your parlor tricks."

"Oh, I see," his brother says with a harsh laugh. "You're just jealous because I can do something you can't." Loki scoffs and holds back angry tears. "Did you ever think that maybe the reason I learned magic was to have just something... just one little thing I could call my own?" He takes another step forward; Thor takes a step back in response. "That maybe I just wanted to have something special to share with her?" Loki keeps walking forward, causing Thor to eventually bump into a wall. "I bet that thought never even occurred to you, did it?" He asks rhetorically. "No, I bet it didn't—because you're too goddamned blind to see when your own brother is slowly fading away into the background while you get to live in the spotlight like you always have!" Loki shouts in exasperation and anger.

Thor just sort of stands there for a moment, not quite knowing how to react. He's truly never seen things that way before, and it makes him immediately regret his harsh words. "I... had no idea," he says softly. "I'm sorry, Brother. Honestly. If you would've told me—"

"Whatever," Loki says indifferently, not wanting to hear what Thor has to say. "This was dumb, anyways." He turns away and walks back to the table. "You can go back to... whatever you were doing before I called you in here." He takes the spell-book and puts it back on a bookshelf. "I'll be in my room." He starts to walk out of the library, but his brother stops him.

"Wait," Thor says, rushing over and putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Maybe I... maybe with your help, I could learn how to do a few spells."

Loki sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I already told you, this sort of thing takes years of study—"

"Then why don't we start today?" Thor insists. "To make up for all times I didn't want to learn when we were younger."

Loki knows how short his brother's attention span is, and how he'll probably give up within a few days, but he appreciates the effort nonetheless. His brother might be a lot of things, but he seemed to truly care about his younger sibling—despite his lack of perception.

Loki gives his brother just the tiniest ghost of a smile as he says, "I suppose I could spare a couple more hours..." he snaps his fingers and a thin textbook appears in his hand. "How about we start with the basics?"

(Author's Note: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know this isn't the one-shot I promised. I just had this thought earlier today and wanted to make a short-ish one-shot about Loki trying to teach Thor magic. You'd think with them having spent so many years together that he would've at least tried a couple times... Anyways, next upload should be the one I promised last time, haha.)


	23. Finding Home (AU focused on TonyPeter)

ONE-SHOT: AU Based (will have multiple parts)

Tony was not an unkind man. He was not unfair. He did not mean for any of this to happen.

"How long?" Peter demanded, his voice filled with hatred.

The billionaire blanched, not knowing quite what to say. "It took us a while—" he started to explain.

"Five years!" The teenager shouted, ignoring Tony's words. "You left me in there for five years, Stark!"

This was not the reunion Tony had expected. Not at all. He thought Peter would be elated. He thought he'd at least be grateful. He never could've expected the kid to lash out so violently.

"Do you know what I had to suffer through?" Peter continued, venom lacing his words. "Do you know what kind of horrific things I had to go through in that damned Stone?!"

Truth was, Stark didn't. He didn't know what the occupants of the Soul Stone faced while they were trapped within it. He didn't know what Peter had been through. He was too prideful to admit as much aloud, though.

"You need to calm down," Tony answered instead. "Let's go back to Stark Tower, and we can sort things out there."

But the teen was furious. "What about May?" he questioned. "What does she know about all of this?"

"She was informed of our plan as soon as we were certain it would work," Tony responded evenly.

"And where is she now?" Peter asked, crossing his arms. "Is she okay?"

Stark nodded. "She's fine, Peter. And I'm sure she wants to see you."

This seemed to calm the boy somewhat. His expression turned from anger to one of deep exhaustion, as if all the fight had been sucked out of him. "What about my friends, Ned and MJ? Are they... what do they know about this?"

Tony found this question a bit more difficult to answer. "They were... affected by the Snap," he replied hesitantly. "So they... they didn't know about any of this."

"But they're okay?" Peter asked, his tone turning a pitch or two higher than normal. "They're okay now, right?"

The billionaire's heart dropped, seeing the kid's terrified face. He hated this. He hated how unfair everything was. "We should get back to Earth," he said, trying to evade Peter's question, along with his piercing look.

"Are they okay?" Peter repeated, a bit more loudly. "They're okay, right Mr. Stark?"

The fear in Peter's voice made Tony's heart break a little. He never meant for any of this to happen.

"Mr. Stark?" Peter's face crumpled in on itself, like he was about to start crying. "Are my friends okay?"

"The Snap affected everyone differently," Tony reluctantly answered. "It seemed that some people... were more resilient than others."

Peter's shoulders began to shake, and his slender body was racked with silent sobs. "So they're... they didn't..." he trailed off, desperately trying to hold back images tears.

"We tried everything we could," Tony tried to reassure him. "I promise you, Peter. We did everything we could."

But the teenager didn't feel reassured at all. He instead felt like his world was crashing down around him. He felt like he was about to fall down some deep hole he couldn't dig himself out of.

"I'm so sorry," Stark continued softly. "But I'm afraid your friends didn't make it out of the Stone."

Peter's anger was revived, and it was directed primarily at Tony. "You could've done more!" he spat viciously. "You left them to die in there!"

Tony knew Peter's behavior was purely based on what he had just gone through, and that he didn't really mean what he was saying. That didn't make it hurt any less, though.

"We can discuss this at home," Tony went on, despite the teenager's growing temper. "Once you've calmed down."

Peter shook his head, glaring at Stark in a way that made the billionaire almost wince. He felt terribly guilty, but they had done all that could, hadn't they?

"I'll go back to Earth with you, but after that I'm done."

Tony thought he had misunderstood the boy. "What do you mean?"

"I'll go back with you," Peter said in a flat tone. "But I'm done with all of this."

Tony was speechless. "You—you're resigning? You don't want to be an Avenger anymore?"

"I want to go back with May," Peter responded in a voice devoid of emotion. "And then I never want to see you again."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey! I'm not dead!

So I was struggling with some MAJOR writer's block with this collection of one-shots (which is why I previously had it on hold) and I'm now going to solely focus on Tony/Peter related fics.

This is the start of a multiple-part one-shot (I'm not sure how many parts it will have), and I don't know how frequently I'll be updating it.

My Thor/Loki one-shots are still technically on hold for the moment, but that doesn't mean I won't eventually go back to them.

I'm just taking a break from those for a while. :)

Anyways, let me know what you guys think of this so far! Did you like it? Would you like to see more of this kind of stuff? What are your thoughts?

~ Miss Faith


	24. Finding Home (Part Two)

Finding Home (Part Two)

Tony was reluctant to relinquish Peter to his aunt, but he no longer had a say in the matter, it seemed. The teenager was resolute in his decision to resign, and any attempt to change his mind resulted only in heavy silence.

Stark was less than pleased. He really didn't want to have to tell the rest of the team that their youngest and newest member was already calling it quits. Peter was a bit naive, and a little annoying at times, but the kid had a good heart. He was the kind of positivity the other Avengers needed.

Now, though, the boy looked twice his age. He looked like he'd been to hell and back—and perhaps he very well had.

"If something changes, you know where to find me," Tony said as Peter got out of his car in front of May's apartment building.

The teenager just grunted out something unpleasant in response, his face a blank mask that betrayed nothing.

Stark felt guilty once again, and he debated on whether he should push his argument further. Ultimately, though, the billionaire just waved goodbye as Peter slowly made his way into the apartment building. The teen didn't even look back once.

—

Back at Stark Tower, Tony was faced with a problem he hadn't anticipated. Pepper was back from her business trip overseas, and boy oh boy was there a lot he had to catch her up on.

"It's good to see you back," he said casually, nodding to her. "How'd it go?"

Pepper set her suitcases down in the doorway, her expression growing weary. "Well, the flight was delayed for over five hours, and some annoying little kid was kicking the back of my seat the entire ride home." She sighs deeply and runs a hand across her face, "The trip went well, though, if that's what you're asking about. Business is back to normal... for the most part, and we've been getting more and more clients."

Tony smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Good. Glad to hear everything's going smoothly."

Pepper nodded, then gave him a pointed look. "It must've worked, then? You got the kid back?"

Tony felt his breath hitch in his throat at the mention of Peter. He hadn't been prepared for this conversation so soon. "I did," he replied hesitantly.

"And how are the others doing?"

Tony was glad for the subject change, he'd have to tell Pepper about the boy's resignation eventually, but maybe not tonight. "They're all... recovering. Some took harder hits than others, all are back with their families now, though."

"What about Thor and his people?" Pepper questioned, raising an eyebrow. "They seemed to be the largest group affected by... everything."

Tony nodded slowly, recalling the news he'd heard shortly after returning from Titan. "Most of them are back," he answered. "Though they are searching for a new planet to relocate to."

Pepper seemed satisfied with this answer. She cared for the other Avengers more than even Tony did. He hasn't even seen Thor since after the Snap, now over five years ago. Stark wondered where the god was now, where his people went. He wondered if the Asgardian would even be willing to help Earth in the future, after everything that he'd been through.

He'd lost the most out of everyone, after all. At least Tony got Peter back. At least the ones he cared about weren't dead.

"You should talk to Steve," Pepper said, pulling Tony back from his thoughts. "Tell him that everything worked out."

The two had worked together in finding a way to reverse the affects of the Snap, but Tony had been avoiding Steve at all possible opportunities. There was still quite a bit that needed to be sorted out between the two superheroes, but neither knew how to start the conversation.

"He's a busy guy," Tony replied, moving to carry Pepper's suitcases to their room. "I don't want to bother him unnecessarily."

The woman was not pleased with his response. "Tony," she said in a warning tone. "You can't keep acting like this."

"Like what?" The billionaire asked innocently.

"Like a child." Pepper took the suitcases herself, a frown etched across her tired features. "You need to stop ignoring your problems."

"I do not ignore my problems," Tony said defensively, trailing after her. "I've just... been busy."

Pepper looked unconvinced, but decided to let the issue go for the time being. "So Peter's back," she said, changing the subject. "How is he handling... everything?"

Tony suddenly wished they had stayed on the topic of him and Steve. This conversation wasn't supposed to come so soon. "Not well," he sighed.

Pepper set her suitcases down on their bed. She rose an eyebrow at the billionaire, crossing her arms. "You did tell him, didn't you? About his friends?"

Pepper had tried to tell Tony that the teen would probably be upset about the loss of his friends, but Stark assumed the boy would understand. He wasn't very good at comforting people.

"I did," he replied carefully.

"And?" Pepper prompted.

"He... he was quite angry," Tony admitted. "He said that we could've done more to bring them back."

Pepper seemed to process this for a moment. She had grown rather fond of the kid, despite only seeing him a handful of times. "Could you have?" She asked hesitantly.

Tony sighed exasperatedly and ran a hand through his hair. "I... I'm not sure, anymore. We assumed that only certain people could be brought back—that not everyone would be strong enough to endure whatever was in the Stone—but perhaps there could've been another way to... save them."

Pepper nodded slowly. "So he's back with his aunt, then?"

"Yes," Tony replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "I'm sure she'll be happy to have him back."

"And he's still... he's still willing to work with the others?" Pepper asks quietly, almost as if she doesn't want to hear the answer.

"He was very angry when we spoke," Tony answered vaguely. "He needs time to calm down."

"So he's taking a break?" Pepper guessed.

"Of sorts."

"Tony," Pepper said in her warning voice.

The billionaire bit his lip and shook his head solemnly. "He resigned, Pepper."

The woman's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to quell an oncoming headache. "He quit, Pepper. He doesn't want to be an Avenger anymore."

"Wha—are you sure?" Pepper uncrossed her arms and began to pace around their bedroom. "You didn't actually let him resign, right?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Tony said in an exasperated tone. "He wasn't exactly in the mood to negotiate."

"Do you know how the press is going to take this?" Pepper asked, her voice growing louder. "Do you know what rumors are going to start if the media hears about this?!" She exclaims, looking distraught.

"We'll keep it under wraps for as long as we can," Tony tried to reassure her. "Maybe he'll change his mind," he added, though he didn't quite believe his own words.

"You need to fix this," Pepper said, shaking her head. "Before anyone finds out—including the other Avengers."

"He wouldn't even look at me, Pepper," Tony responded, his gaze falling to the floor. "He... he was devastated."

"He needs time," Pepper agreed. "But then you have to talk him out of this."

The billionaire nodded, though he didn't know if the kid would ever be willing to speak to him again.

"The boy's lost a lot," Pepper continued, putting a hand on Tony's shoulder. "He needs someone to look out for him."

"He has his aunt," Stark pointed out.

"She might be able to help him a little, but you and I both know that he needs a strong father figure in his life."

Tony thought back to a time when he'd wanted to start a family with a Pepper. Things had changed drastically since then. "I'll do what I can," he eventually conceded.

Pepper smiled kindly, her eyes tired. "What would you ever do without me? Without my great advice, you probably wouldn't even leave this place."

It was meant as a joke, but Tony hadn't felt like laughing very much, as of late. "Probably not," he agreed half heartedly.

Pepper kissed him softly, then started unpacking her suitcases. Tony decided to go down to his lab, a quite place where he could think.

He needed to do some of that. He needed to figure out how to help Peter. He needed to figure out how to help himself.


End file.
